Family of eight-year-old boy who saw dad stabbed to death on city street criticize SF DA Brooke Jenkins over lack of information and support
The grandmother of an eight-year-old boy who witnessed his father being stabbed to death on a San Francisco street criticized district attorney Brooke Jenkins today as she attended the alleged attacker’s first court appearance, saying the city’s top prosecutor “lied on TV” about keeping the family informed.
Daniel Rodriguez is accused of stabbing Robert Paul Byrd in the throat on Thursday September 10 in an incident which witnesses say began with the men “pushing and punching” each other. The victim’s son, who was being collected from nearby Commodore Sloat Elementary School by his dad, saw the attack at close quarters.
During a subsequent search of Rodriguez’ home, police say, they found multiple firearms in his room – including several ‘ghost guns’, a shotgun, and a Glock equipped with an extended magazine – amid bloody clothing.
“We haven’t been talked to at all,” said the boy’s maternal grandmother, Gloria Berry, outside Department 19 of the Hall of Justice.
“The district attorney lied on TV and said they reached out to the son’s family and she did not. They did not. They called an hour before noon today and said if my daughter could be down here at 12. That’s the only contact we’ve had.”
The police department, she said, has not kept them up to date either.
“It’s just horrific, it’s terrible,” she said of the killing.
“To do that in front of my grandson is damn near demonic.”
“To do that in front of my grandson is damn near demonic.”
Gloria Berry
Reports are still conflicted on what sparked the attack – and prosecutors’ decision to stay tight-lipped appears to have left the family with more questions than answers.
“We don’t know much of anything but that what you hear on the news,” said Berry.
“We’ve heard some different stories. We heard at first that the jerk in there [Rodriguez] almost hit our grandson with the car but then now we’re hearing they just bumped into each other and this is just what we’re hearing from the news. We haven’t been talked to at all.”
She paid tribute to Byrd whom she described as a very active father who lived for his son.
She said she has since driven back to school to drop off a thank you note to the good samaritan who looked after her grandson in the aftermath of the attack.
Rodriguez was detained 150 miles away, in the Yosemite area, on September 12 – one day after Judge Maria Evangelista inked a warrant for his arrest.
Appearing today before Judge Linda Colfax, Rodriguez spoke only briefly – answering “yes” twice to questions about whether he understood he was entitled to be arraigned today and whether he agreed to postpone it – before being ordered to appear again on Friday and to remain in custody.
Deputy Public Defender Seth Meisels drew the court’s attention to his client’s cancer diagnosis and dental problems and asked the court to order jail medical staff to assess the issues.
Rodriguez, who faces charges of murder and child endangerment, has not yet entered a plea.
Assistant district attorney John Roman appeared for the prosecution. A spokesman for district attorney Brooke Jenkins did not immediately respond to questions about the criticisms leveled today.
The case continues.
This story has been updated.
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