Father Of Slain Dodgers Fan Will Make Plea For Witnesses To Come Forward
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — The father of the man fatally stabbed following a fight allegedly stemming from an argument between two groups of Giants and Dodgers fans, will ask witnesses to come forward.
Friday evening, police in the Bay Area released the key suspect -- 21-year-old Michael Montgomery -- saying they had insufficient evidence to hold him.
After saying Montgomery made incriminating statements during an interview, officials also said he claimed self defense.
Montgomery left a San Francisco hospital early Saturday morning hours after he was released from custody. Witnesses said he had no visible injuries.
Meanwhile, a friend of Montgomery's insists there is no way his friend started the fight.
"I just know for a fact he was not trying to kill anybody, he was trying to get out of there," said Tatin Davis.
"I think anybody whose getting jumped, who has a knife in their pocket, would have to pull it, you know what I mean? To do whatever they could to get out of that situation," Davis added.
KCAL9's Brittney Hopper talked to member's of Denver's family Saturday off-camera.
They told Hopper Robert Preece -- Denver's father and, incidentally, a Dodgers Stadium security guard -- will stand outside Giants' AT&T Park at noon Sunday, just before the team's scheduled 1:05 game.
This evening, Hopper was outside Dodgers Stadium and spoke to fans.
Dodger fan and father Mike Stamakinly has been coming to games since he was a kid. Now he brings his own son. He heard about Denver's death and says the victim's father has to do all he can to find those responsible.
"He has to do everything he can because he lost something there and he has to go fight for him and his family," said Stamakinly.
Meanwhile, Montgomery's cell mate says the 21-year-old told him it was a riot situation and that he was attacked by Denver and his party, including a brother and two friends.
Neighbors in the Northern California area where Montgomery lives says they're shocked he was a murder suspect.
"He seemed like a nice kid. I don't see how he could do this," said neighbor Alex Lang.
Denver's family has also said that Denver wouldn't have started such a fight.
