The Archdiocese of San Francisco held a vigil this morning at the spot in the city’s Potrero Hill neighborhood where a man was murdered last weekend.
Eric Avila, 52, was stabbed near the intersection of 25th and Connecticut streets at about 2 a.m. Sunday and later died at San Francisco General Hospital.
The suspect in the killing, Andre Reid, 28, was arrested later that day and is expected to be arraigned this afternoon, district attorney’s office spokeswoman Stephanie Ong Stillman said.
The archdiocese began holding vigils for each of the city’s murder victims in October. The Rev. Mike Quinn said at this morning’s vigil that Avila was “another victim of our city’s dysfunctional ‘one against the other’ mentality.”
“When he dies, part of us dies,” Quinn said.
Julio Escobar, coordinator of the archdiocese’s restorative justice programs who organizes the vigils, says each one is “difficult … but we’re going to continue doing it.”
Escobar said, “We must not forget those who have passed away as a result of violence.”
“They’re dying for no reason,” he said.
Police and prosecutors have not disclosed a possible motive for Avila’s killing.
The archdiocese is planning a walk for peace on Jan. 12 to encourage non-violence in the community.
The walk is scheduled for 10 a.m. beginning at St. Anthony’s Church at 3215 Cesar Chavez St. and ending at Mission Dolores at 3321 16th St., where mass will start at noon.
Dan McMenamin, Bay City News
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