Prosecutors: Teen Killed While Filming Street Fight In San Francisco's Excelsior
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) – Prosecutors say a man now charged with murder fatally stabbed a 16-year-old boy in the neck as the teen was filming a street fight Saturday night in San Francisco's Excelsior neighborhood.
Sergio Rocha, 38, was scheduled to be arraigned this afternoon in San Francisco Superior Court for the killing of Josue Mejia-Sanchez.
Rocha's arraignment, however, was continued to Monday, as he remains hospitalized for injuries he suffered in the melee that prosecutors said happened after the stabbing.
According to court documents, the incident began when Rocha and his friend, a 48-year-old man, were walking near Mission Street when two younger males allegedly attacked Rocha's friend, prompting a fist fight between Rocha's friend and one of the younger aggressors.
As the two were rolling on the ground and exchanging blows, more younger males surrounded their peers, including Mejia-Sanchez, who was now filming the fight with his phone.
Rocha, armed with a knife, then pushed another member of the group back and plunged the knife into the neck of an unsuspecting Mejia-Sanchez, killing him instantly, according to court documents.
Afterward Rocha began swinging the knife at other members of the group. One of the young males, however, stabbed Rocha in the chest as another young male hurled a beer bottle at his head, causing Rocha to collapse and hit his head on concrete.
Rocha's friend was able to come to his aid and pull him up and the two allegedly fled to a restaurant near Geneva Avenue and Mission Street, where Rocha realized he'd been stabbed.
Around this time, friends of Mejia-Sanchez took him to Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital but he was pronounced dead shortly afterward.
Emergency personnel responded to the restaurant where Rocha and his friend allegedly fled to and transported them to Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital. There, Rocha underwent surgery for his injuries.
After his surgery, court documents said, investigators confronted Rocha about Mejia-Sanchez's killing with video surveillance from the area. According to court documents, Rocha initially denied having a knife, but later admitted to it, yet said didn't intend to hurt anyone.
The other young males involved in the fight have not been identified.
Rocha is being represented by the San Francisco Public Defender's Office and is being held without bail.
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