Man arrested for BART fare evasion suspected in San Francisco Market Street homicide
A man who was picked up at a BART station in San Leandro for fare evasion early Sunday morning was later arrested in connection with a homicide in downtown San Francisco earlier this month, according to police.
Johnathan Wright, 36, was arrested just after midnight on Sunday morning by BART police at the Bay Fair station on suspicion of fare evasion. BART police have him listed as being transient.
Wright was also booked into the San Francisco County Jail #2 just after 8 a.m. on suspicion of murder, according to jail records. He is being held without bail.
BART police told KPIX its officers turned Wright over to San Francisco police after his arrest.
San Francisco police initially did not disclose details of the murder charge, but later confirmed the arrest was in connection with an early morning homicide at Market and Main on November 13, 2024.
That day, SFPD officers responded to Market and Main Streets at 5:49 a.m. after a report of a person who was bleeding. Officers found a male victim suffering from an unspecified injury on Market Street just outside an entrance to the BART/Muni Metro Embarcadero station and began first aid until medics arrived at the scene, police said.
Despite the efforts of emergency responders, the victim was pronounced dead at the scene. The homicide led to an extended closure of the Embarcadero station that impacted the commute that morning.
The SFPD Homicide Detail took over the investigation and identified Wright as the suspect, developing probable cause to obtain an arrest warrant for homicide.
Early Sunday morning at approximately 3 a.m., SFPD officers met with BART police at San Francisco General Hospital to take Wright into custody.
While an arrest has been made in the case, it remains an open and active investigation. Anyone with information is asked to contact the SFPD at 1-415-575-4444 or text a tip to TIP411 and begin the message with SFPD.