Many in Ocean Beach's homeless community told NBC 7 on Tuesday, they were disturbed and terrified by news of a suspect hunting and attacking homeless men sleeping alone in the area.
"I sleep outside every single night," said Anthony Ingram. "I couldn't sleep all night last night. Every second, I was waking up at every single person who walked by; I was in fear for my life, completely."
San Diego Police are searching for a single man linked to two murders and a serious injury attack over the holiday weekend.
The unidentified man is linked to the homicide of 53-year-old Angelo De Nardo, whose burned body was found Sunday morning in Bay Park, and another homeless man who died from severe trauma to his upper body in Ocean Beach Monday morning, according to San Diego Police Department. The same suspect also severely injured a man in the Midway area near Greenwood and Kurtz streets.
Thomas Eisel told NBC 7, while the level of violence in the cases was extreme, he witnesses other acts of violence against the homeless nearly every day.
Eisel recounted for NBC 7 seeing a drunk woman beat a homeless man recently because he wouldn't answer questions about searching for a job or why he lives on the street.
"He was confused," Eisel said of the homeless man. "All the sudden, the woman just starts yelling and slapping on him. She became really violent." Eisel said the man did not fight back. "But I saw him scurry away and I found him around the corner. He was crying."
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Several people in the Ocean Beach area were searching for their friends, worried one of them may be a victim in the violent killing spree.
"I'm very worried about my friends," said Jesse Eisener, tearing up. "I'm hoping it's not one of them that's dead."
Another woman who lives in a home near the beach searched for a man she recently gave a cell phone and some money.
"Is the victim a tall, thin man, with a beard, who collects cans and sleeps at Robb Field?" Resident Joan McKee asked NBC 7. "I just hope it's not him because he doesn't do any drugs or drink or anything and he works hard. He's just had a lot of misfortune in recent years."
NBC 7 saw a man at Robb Field matching the woman's description and asked him to contact McKee and let her know he's okay, at her request.
Police are asking the public's help in identifying a person of interest in the case, and released surveillance footage of the man from a convenience store near the De Nardo's body. A clerk at the store told NBC 7 he sold the man a gas can, a gallon of gasoline and a lighter about 15 minutes before De Nardo's body was discovered.
Anyone with any information is asked to call the police department at (619)531-2346.
