The Ministry for Victims and Families of Violent Crime of the Archdiocese of San Francisco will be conducting a prayer service this evening for Jacob Valdiviezo, the college student shot to death while home for Spring Break.
Valdiviezo, aged 19, surprised his family by coming home to San Francisco from college in Oregon unexpectedly during his spring break last week.
But the visit ended tragically at about 3 a.m. Saturday when Valdiviezo, 19, was shot outside the family’s home in the 2600 block of Bryant Street, near 24th Street, after police say he was mistaken for a gang member.
Carlos Valdiviezo said he was shocked to see his younger brother when he answered the doorbell two Fridays ago, since Jacob didn’t tell his family he was making a surprise visit home from school at Lewis and Clark College in Portland, Ore., where he played on the football team.
“My mom walks in and starts crying when she saw his bags,” he said.
Early Saturday morning, Carlos, 24, was asleep at the home when the shooting happened.
“I wake up to all this screaming and run outside and I see him lying on the floor,” he said.
Jacob had been shot in the head and was taken to a hospital where he was pronounced dead.
As of Wednesday, police have not made any arrests in the case. The onlky suspect information they have provided is that the shooter is believed to be a man around 30 years old who fled in a gray four-door sedan.
“Growing up here, you experience things like this…you just never expect it to be someone close,” Carlos said.
“He was a loving person,” said Jacob’s cousin, 26-year-old Leticia Cervano. “He never caused trouble.”
Valdiviezo graduated from Archbishop Riordan High School in 2011 and was a sophomore economics major at Lewis and Clark.
“He was considered a good friend and leader by his peers and coaches,” Lewis and Clark officials said in a statement. “Our hearts go out to Jacob’s family, friends, teammates and classmates.”
Father Mike Quinn of St. Brendan church and Father John Jimenez of St. Peter church will conduct tonight’s prayer service at 6:00 PM on the 2600 Block of Bryant Street. The public is invited to attend.
