Search For Suspect In Near-Fatal Beating At Illicit Orinda Party
ORINDA (CBS SF) -- Police in the East Bay are continuing their search for a suspect in a near fatal beating that happened at an Orinda home supposedly being rented via Airbnb during a weekend house party.
The violent fight broke out just before 2 a.m. Saturday at a lavish home on Camino Encinas in Orinda.
The house was being leased as a short-term rental, which has complicated the investigation.
The 5-bedroom, $2 million home was listed on Airbnb as a short-term rental for $875 a night. The owner advertised it as having been "used for filming" and noted that it "even hosted music stars."
When the owner rented it out Friday night, it was to someone who claimed to be hosting a family get together and barbecue. But that's not what neighbors in the quiet neighborhood heard and saw late that night and into the morning.
"When I drove out in the morning, I saw the police," said a neighbor who didn't want to be identified. "There was crime scene tape, blood in the parking lot."
KPIX 5 has learned the rental transaction was never made through Airbnb. Instead, the renter offered cash to the owner after claiming her credit card wasn't working.
Authorities told KPIX 5 they believe most of the guests at the party came from Alameda County.
The party spilled out on the street, where a fight broke out. Police say a man who was captured on cell phone video severely beat another man from Florida.
The victim remains in the hospital with life threatening injuries.
Police are actively searching for the suspect.
"As you can imagine, when officers arrived, there were many people coming and going," said Orinda Police chief Mark Nagel. "So there was some confusion as to who was who. But we tended to the injuries first."
Orinda Mayor Victoria Smith said the city is looking into regulations on short term rentals where the owner could be held liable.
"We should have a system of registration where the city at least knows that that's a possibility so when police are making their rounds on any given night that this activity could be going on at this location."
Orinda police are asking that anyone with information related to the suspect and the case get in touch with them.