Authorities in San Diego said Wednesday that another homeless man was seriously injured and set on fire by an attacker police say struck while the man was sleep in the latest spate of attacks on transients that have left at least two dead.
(FOX)- Police believe the same man that had killed two other homeless men and severely injured another is believed to be behind this attack. Authorities said the 23-year-old victim was not expected to survive his upper-body injuries.
“I want everyone to know that this series against our homeless is the highest priority for our police department,” San Diego police Chief Shelley Zimmerman told reporters.
It’s the fourth attack in four days on homeless men in San Diego. The attacks that began over the Fourth of July weekend have put the city’s transient community on edge.
Zimmerman called the attacks “despicable.”
“These evil acts of violence are some of the worst that I have seen in my 34 years in law enforcement,” Zimmerman added. “This killer has targeted some of our city’s most vulnerable citizens while they are asleep.”
As in previous attacks, Wednesday’s victim, whose identity was being withheld pending notification of next of kin, was sleeping in the early morning hours when the assailant approached. The attack occurred downtown but the other three were in different parts of the city.
Capt. David Nisleit declined to speak in detail about why police believe all four attacks are connected but mentioned the manner in which they were carried out and witness interviews. Police had no information connecting the victims.