Oakland police on Thursday identified a man suspected of stabbing five people, one of whom died, in an apparent series of random attacks earlier in the week.
Jose Jesus Rodriguez, 34, was arrested Monday and booked into Santa Rita Jail on suspicion of murder, attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon, among other alleged crimes.
Rodriguez’s alleged stabbing spree began just before 7:30 p.m. Monday, when he is believed to have attacked 58-year-old Gonsalo Lopez at Cesar Chavez Park on 38th Avenue in East Oakland, according to police.
Lopez died at the scene.
Lopez was a chef in Alameda and his family said he often brough food and helped the unhoused in the park he was attacked.
Four more people — two men and two women aged 30s to 50s — were found with stab wounds that evening.
“So far, we do believe that they were random, we don’t have any connection with the suspect and the victims, but it’s still early on in the investigation,” Oakland Police Capt. Gloria Beltran said at a news conference Tuesday.
After officers responded to the first stabbing, a second victim was located near 38th Avenue and San Leandro Street, police said.
While tending to that victim, another call came in reporting a third stabbing victim who had been found near the Fruitvale BART station. Two more stabbing victims were then found near 39th Avenue and International Boulevard.
Officers located the suspect with the community’s help in the 1500 block of 39th Avenue about 30 minutes later.
A suspect is in custody after five people were stabbed Monday night at separate locations across Oakland in less than 30 minutes. Kris Sanchez reports.
Three victims were all in stable condition Tuesday and one was listed in critical condition, according to police.
Meanwhile, documents show Rodriguez has a lengthy criminal history, including a prior conviction for a 2019 stabbing spree. Police said in that case he stabbed an Uber driver and a garbage collector. Rodriguez was eventually released on parole, but court records show he racked up repeated parole violations.
Some of Rodriguez’s violations include an arrest in June of last year for assault and violating a criminal protective order.
Last October, police said Rodriguez bit someone and threatened that person with a knife. During that arrest, police said Rodriguez headbutted and tried to bite an officer.
Court records also show Rodriguez used a wooden board “like an axe” to injure two women.
The recent stabbing spree and criminal history has some asking why Rodriguez was still out in the streets.
Former prosecutor and legal analyst Michael Cardoza said parole violations can result in additional jail time, but notes the system has some big flaws.
“This is an example of how our system has swung a little bit too far about letting people out of jail and not holding them responsible for what they do,” Cardoza said. “When you have people like this, our judicial system isn’t able to cope with him and it ends up like this. So don’t look and blame judges — look at our legislators who put the laws in that hamstring judges.”
Alameda County District Attorney Ursula Jones Dickson called the stabbing spree a “senseless act of violence.”
“It’s sad that he had to take a life before the system actually dealt with him as he should’ve been dealt with a long time ago,” Cardoza said.
Rodriguez is scheduled for an arraignment Friday morning in Alameda County Superior Court in Oakland. His bail amount wasn’t listed in court records Thursday.
Anyone with information, video, or photos related to the case is asked to contact the OPD Homicide Section at 510-238-3821, or the department’s tip line at 510-238-7950, or can email footage to cidvideos@oaklandca.gov.
Bay City News contributed to this report.