The suspect in a fatal shooting Wednesday afternoon near North Beach fired his weapon at the victim’s car as he tried to drive away, video footage obtained by The Standard shows.
The shooting occurred around 1:11 p.m. in the area of Columbus Avenue and North Point Street, a few blocks from Fisherman’s Wharf. The San Francisco Police Department said the suspect was inside his vehicle when he shot at another occupied vehicle, then fled the area. But, according to a witness and footage of the shooting, the suspect was on foot, chasing the vehicle as he fired his weapon.
Surveillance footage from Royal Thai Spa at the corner of Columbus and North Point shows the gunman running toward a Honda SUV waiting at the traffic light, carrying what appears to be an assault rifle. A police source said he was carrying an AR pistol.
Officers located the victim’s vehicle at Leavenworth and Beach streets and found an unresponsive man in the driver’s seat who had sustained multiple gunshot wounds. Police began CPR before paramedics arrived and took over. The victim, who was identified as 61-year-old Chalay Saelee, of the East Bay, was pronounced dead at the scene. His vehicle had “significant ballistic damage to the rear,” the source said, citing a police report.
The suspect turned himself in and was placed under arrest on suspicion of homicide at the SFPD Central station, police said. He was identified on Thursday as Abraham Torres, 44, by police. His weapon was located in his vehicle, the police source said.
Near the intersection of Leavenworth and Beach, an SFPD canopy stood over a yellow sheet next to a Honda SUV. The driver’s side door was open.
Lexi Tate, manager of the Orangetheory Fitness at 1255 Columbus Ave., told The Standard she saw a man fire a “large weapon” four to five times outside the studio around 1:20 p.m.
“He had shot a couple of shots toward the intersection of North Point and Columbus, and then he got back in his car and took off,” Tate said.
She then saw employees of the UPS Store across the street calling 911. Police showed up and blocked off Columbus between North Point and Bay streets. Tate said the studio’s noon class had already cleared out, so the doors were locked, and only she and two coaches were inside at the time.
“I would never expect to see something like that happen here,” she said.
This is the city’s ninth homicide this year, according to SFPD crime data.
Torres has been charged with murder and possession of a firearm by a felon, the San Francisco District Attorney’s office announced. He was due to appear in court Friday afternoon.
The victim’s sister, Farm Saelee, launched a campaign Sunday to crowdfund funeral expenses, with a $7,000 goal. Saelee is survived by his four children, according to his sister.