SFPD: 58-year-old man arrested in vicious homeless attack caught on video

SAN FRANCISCO (KTVU) - San Francisco police on Monday announced the arrest in a vicious assault of a homeless man that was caught on video.

The video of the May 24 attack shows a 38 year-old homeless man laying down on the sidewalk on Leavenworth St., north of McAllister St. when a well-dressed man approaches him. 

"The man was lying down sleeping on the sidewalk and the suspect walked up to him and for no apparent reason just kicked him in the face causing major injuries, said Sgt. Michael Andraychak, a San Francisco Police Department spokesperson.

The suspect is then seen walking away into United Nations Plaza.

Andraychak said the victim suffered serious injuries and was hospitalized.

Investigators said, an officer patrolling on foot on Sunday, recognized the suspect as the man seen in the surveillance video.

58 year-old Samuel Youmtoub of San Francisco was spotted walking on Market Street near the United Nations Plaza and taken into custody, police said. 

"She and her partner went up and put the cuffs on him and investigators worked together and they tied him to the cases and he was booked," said Sgt. Andraychak.

Investigators said Youmtoub is suspected in another attack on May 29th at 8th St. near Mission St., involving a 28 year-old man on a Muni bus.

"The subject came up and started yelling at him and then suddenly grabbed the victim by the hair and then banged his head into a metal bar on the bus," Sgt. Andraychak said. 

He then repeatedly slammed the victim's face into a steel handrail. The victim suffered severe injuries including a broken nose, investigators said.

That attack was captured on Muni surveillance video, which police said would not be released to the public because it's part of their investigation. 

SFPD is also withholding the suspect's booking photo because investigators want to show it to witnesses and victims as they continue to build their case.

Youmtoub has been booked into San Francisco County Jail and charged with aggravated assault in both cases.