The victim of a deadly stabbing at a Muni stop in Ingleside is being called a hero for placing himself between the suspected attacker and a group of women and children who were being harassed.
Colden Kimber, 28, was with his girlfriend Saturday afternoon, waiting for a K train along Ocean Avenue after eating at Beep’s Burgers, when they saw the suspect yelling at bystanders, the district attorney’s office said.
The suspect, Sean Collins, 29, “had made several sneering comments like, ‘Oh, you think you are better than me,’ or ‘You are so scared of me,’” prosecutors alleged.
Kimber, who was 6-foot-4, deliberately moved between Collins and the group “so should anything happen, the victim could intervene and protect those around him,” prosecutors wrote in a court document.
Collins then brandished a knife and stabbed Kimber in the neck, a “completely and utterly unprovoked” attack, according to prosecutors, who have charged him with murder.
A wounded Kimber fought with Collins and tackled him onto seats on the platform, according to the DA’s office. Collins slipped away while Kimber’s girlfriend applied pressure to the knife wound. Police arrested Collins soon afterward.
Kimber died at San Francisco General Hospital.
Kimber’s mother said she was not surprised that her son would risk himself to help strangers.
“He would definitely do that without hesitation,” said Lara Litchfield-Kimber, who lives in New Hampshire. “That does square with everything I know about him. He was a very protective big brother, and he was very protective of me.”
Kimber had been texting with his 23-year-old sister moments before he was attacked, his mother said. “I’m very proud of the person he grew into,” Litchfield-Kimber said.
Named for a mountain in the Adirondacks, Kimber moved to San Francisco from Ithaca, New York, with his girlfriend five years ago. He became well-known in the city’s competitive cycling community, where he rode for the Dolce Vita Cycling team. He was also a skilled mechanic, fixing bikes in the American Cyclery shop in the Haight, and was a former coach for the Super Sprinkles racing team.
He played hockey regularly around the Bay Area and enjoyed cross-country skiing. Biking and hockey brought out his competitive spirit, but that was just one part of his personality, friends said.
“He is the nicest, most friendly giant of a person that you can imagine,” said Myles McGinley, a Dolce Vita teammate. “He was always willing to help.”
Among mechanics, he was exceptional, according to Brad Woehl, the owner of American Cyclery.
“[Kimber] knew how to work on the most sophisticated bikes that people would ride in the Tour de France,” said Woehl. “I learned from him. I have a better shop because of him. He was a great kid, and I had a lot of hope for him in his life.”
A memorial ride is tentatively scheduled for Sept. 7 around the Polo Fields in Golden Gate Park. Kimber rode there regularly, setting speed records among Strava users for riding laps.
“He was super, super competitive,” said Raymond Cogan, who hired Kimber to coach the Super Sprinkles. “But he didn’t come with that extra arrogance, and that was refreshing.”
Kimber was studying kinesiology at San Francisco State University. The path toward science echoed his parents’ careers: His mother is a plant pathologist and has been an executive at science museums, while his late father was a veterinarian.
With his degree in sight, Kimber wanted to work in sports medicine or physical therapy and perhaps relocate to a smaller city.
Kimber’s mother has launched a GoFundMe campaign to pay for memorials for her son in San Francisco and New York and to cover expenses for the family to attend the criminal trial.
Collins remains in jail, facing a charge of murder and two counts of child endangerment. Prosecutors said two girls, ages 14 and 8, witnessed the stabbing.
Collins was already facing charges of vandalism exceeding $400, attempted second-degree burglary, possession of burglary tools, and resisting a police officer in relation to an incident April 16 at Java Beach Cafe on Sloat Boulevard.
“I can say that Mr. Collins is innocent under the law and, like all of us, is entitled to due process,” said his lawyer, Deputy Public Defender Nuha Abusamra.
Kimber’s death brings the number of homicides in San Francisco this year to 14, according to the San Francisco Police Department. Police investigated 35 homicides in 2024, well below the annual average of 51 from 2013 to 2022.
“His taste in life was to be in a little more of a calm place,” said Woehl. “He mentioned that to me on Friday afternoon, and then that confrontation took place on Saturday."