Murder charges expected following death of San Francisco private eye Jack Palladino
SAN FRANCISCO - San Francisco prosecutors plan to file murder charges against two men allegedly connected to the death of private eye Jack Palladino once the coroner's report is returned, the District Attorney's Office said on Tuesday, following a murder charge filed against a teenager for the death of another elderly man.
A spokeswoman for DA Chesa Boudin said the office has already filed attempted murder, kidnapping, attempted robbery, assault with a deadly weapon, elder abuse, assault with force likely to cause great bodily injury, and false imprisonment, along with numerous enhancements including ones for great bodily injury and ones related to Palladino’s age of 76.
"Jack Palladino was a legend," Boudin said. "There will be consequences for those responsible."
The two charged are: 24-year-old Pittsburg resident Lawrence Thomas and 23-year-old San Francisco resident Tyjone Flournoy. Both men are in custody. Boudin said he has asked the judge for no bail.
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Since Palladino died on Monday, Boudin said prosecutors are awaiting the Medical Examiner's findings as to the cause of death. He said it's likely that both men will then also be charged with murder.
Famed private investigator remembered after dying of injuries in botched robbery
Former San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown is among those who consider Jack Palladino, a famed private investigator, a good guy and part of the fabric of SF history. The 76-year-old was attacked outside of his Haight Ashbury home in an attempted robbery and died from his injuries on Monday.
At a news conference Tuesday, Police Chief Bill Scott said he wanted to express condolences to Palladino's family, as well as to the family of 84-year-old Vicha Ratanapakdee, who was fatally attacked last week, and all victims of homicides.
Boudin also addressed the attacks on the two elderly men and realized that many in San Francisco might not feel safe. He also thanked police for making such swift arrests. Boudin said his office was filing murder charges against 19-year-old Antoine Watson in connection to the death of Ratanaapakdee.
"We will hold those accountable for these horrific acts," Boudin said. "Period."
San Francisco Deputy Public Defender Kleigh Hathaway will be appearing at the arraignment on Tuesday, but the office said it is not yet clear if she will formally take the case. The Public Defender did not offer an immediate comment on the charges.
The new and old charges stem from what happened to Palladino, a famed private investigator, late Thursday afternoon in San Francisco's Haight-Ashbury neighborhood.
Palladino went outside to take pictures of an attempted robbery that occurred near the intersection of Page Street and Masonic Avenue.
He was attacked and officers found Palladino injured and lying in the street just before 5 p.m. The thieves had also tried to steal his camera, but in the end, the camera held the pictures of the suspects.
When the driver sped away, Palladino fell to the ground. Thomas was taken into custody Friday in San Francisco while Flournoy was arrested in Reno, Nevada, on Saturday, according to police.