SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — The father of a Dodgers fan fatally stabbed Wednesday during a melee following a Giants baseball game is planning to make a public plea for witnesses after San Francisco's district attorney said he lacks evidence to charge a suspect who has been released.
A family member said the victim's father plans to speak outside the Giants' stadium at noon before the scheduled 1:05 p.m. PDT Sunday game with the San Diego Padres.
The suspect, Michael Montgomery, 21, was released from custody Friday night after District Attorney George Gascon said police had insufficient evidence to charge him in the death of Jonathan Denver, 24.
Gascon said police had not spoken with any independent witnesses who may have witnessed the fight Wednesday night. The victim's father, Robert Preece, believes someone may have recorded the melee with mobile phones, said Preece's sister Jill Preece Haro.
"We have reason to believe someone recorded this," Haro said in a phone interview, adding that Denver's father and others with him saw bystanders were using cellphone cameras. "We're calling on them to come forward to help both families find out what happened."
Haro said the victim's father, who works as security guard at Dodger Stadium, and other family members were motivated to travel from his Southern California home to make his public plea after Montgomery's release and Gascon's explanation for not charging Montgomery.
"The San Francisco Police Department has provided us an initial investigation," Gascon said in a wen statement Friday night. "However, not all witnesses have been interviewed, nor have any independent witnesses of the incident been interviewed. We have requested this and other evidence be collected before we can make an assessment on whether charges should be filed."
