This story infuriates me. Back in May, officials at San Quentin released a “high control” inmate two days early in the wrong area (San Rafael instead of Southern California) and without any meeting with his parole officer. He took a bus to San Francisco and ended up a few blocks from where I live, where he proceeded to brutally stab a 15-year-old girl who was in the wrong place at the wrong time. He also severely injured one of three good Samaritans who came to her aid. Luckily, the three men were able to apprehend the attacker and he was arrested. The girl surely would have died if these men hadn’t gotten involved. Today, the California inspector general issued a report saying that the officials at San Quentin failed to follow several policies, resulting in this tragic event. Whenever I hear about this story I can’t stop thinking about how easily that could have been me or my wife getting in this guy’s path and suffering the brutal attack. I am also grateful that I have neighbors who put their own lives at risk to help someone who they don’t even know.
KTVU has video of the Police Commission recognizing the three heroes who helped the girl and an update on the girl’s recovery. According to this article that appeared in the Chronicle last month, the family of the 15-year-old is considering a lawsuit against the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.
3/28/2008 Update:
The family is now suing the state of California.
