Son watched as Dad stabbed to death in San Francisco outside school
The family of the San Francisco man stabbed and killed while holding his young son's hand speaks out about their loss
Family members describe the man stabbed and killed while holding his 8-year-old son's hand in San Francisco was described as being a great dad, "he was the absolute definition of a dad. He cared the world for his baby." The mother of the victim's son says their child described the ordeal of witnessing the attack on his father. The family wants justice, saying that the suspect has caused them a lifetime of pain. Now, the child's mother says their son is in therapy.
SAN FRANCISCO - The former partner of the father stabbed to death as he was picking up his son from a San Francisco elementary school said it feels like her world is crashing down.
In an interview with KTVU on Monday, Bella Berry described how it feels now that Robert Byrd II, the 35-year-old father of their 8-year-old son, was killed Sept. 10 in front of Commodore Sloat Elementary School.
Byrd was holding their son's hand when suspect Daniel Patrick Rodriguez, allegedly stabbed him to death. Rodriguez is expected to be arraigned Tuesday on murder and child endangerment charges.
"It's like the world is crashing down," Berry said. "It felt like I was cast into an ocean and left to try to keep my head above water."
A motive has not been given for the attack, other than police saying there had been an "altercation" in the street.
But a source told KTVU that surveillance video shows that Byrd and Rodriguez bumped into each other in the crosswalk on Junipero Serra and Ocean Avenue near the school.
The encounter escalated into a physical fight and police said Rodriguez stabbed Byrd, as his son witnessed. Father and son were headed to the library so the boy could do his homework and wait for his mom to finish a class at San Francisco State.
"He said that he was trying to cover his dad's mouth ‘cause blood was coming out," Berry said. " ’My dad's blood is hot' and that the staff teacher who was trying to help got it on her hands."
Berry says she's grateful to that school staff member who rushed over to help.
If she could speak to Rodriguez, Berry said: "You took his life because you're a coward, carrying a weapon. You would have been able to walk away from the situation fine. He would have never done that to you."
Berry said Byrd was a man who had a dream to make his family proud and happy, and a "dream to be there for his boy."
The Commodore Sloat Elementary School Parents’ Club Organization established a GoFundMe campaign on Saturday in order to help Byrd’s family cover funeral costs and to provide financial support.