Gonsalo Lopez, a 58-year-old father of three, has been identified as the victim killed during a series of apparently random stabbings in Oakland on Monday. The alleged assailant, 34-year-old Jose Jesus Rodriguez, is accused of a 30-minute rampage that spanned Cesar Chavez Park and three other locations, resulting in Lopez's death and injuries to four other individuals.
Lopez, a chef who lived with his wife and sons near the park, was remembered by his family as a kind and generous man who frequently fed the homeless. His son, Kenny Romero, told the Mercury News that his father, who had recently returned from a trip to Honduras, was visiting people in the park when he was attacked.
Rodriguez, who is described as a mentally disturbed homeless man, has a prior record for violence, including a stabbing spree in 2019 for which he was imprisoned and later released on parole in 2023. Following his release, Rodriguez reportedly violated his parole multiple times and struggled to find employment. He is also accused of attempting to bite a police officer and attacking two individuals with a wooden board.
An Oakland parole agent had previously noted that there were no adequate programs to address Rodriguez's escalating behavior, stating that he posed a significant threat to the community.
The other four victims injured in the Monday attacks include a 47-year-old man, a 31-year-old man, a 52-year-old woman, and a 20-year-old man. Rodriguez faces charges of murder, attempted murder, and assault with a deadly weapon in connection with the incidents.