Alleged Serial Castro Arsonist Back In Custody On Suspicion Of Assault

Alleged Serial Castro Arsonist Back In Custody On Suspicion Of AssaultPhoto: ABC7
Steven Bracco
Published on December 01, 2016

Alleged serial Castro arsonist David Diaz, who was convicted of involuntary manslaughter back in 2014, is once again in police custody.

The Bay Area Reporter writes that Diaz was arrested on Tuesday, November 29th, after an incident that occurred around 4:55am at Folsom and Harriet streets in SoMa. Diaz allegedly approached a parked car occupied by a 45-year-old female, shone a flashlight on her, and told her to get out of the car.

Upon exiting the vehicle, Diaz and the victim allegedly got into a fight. Both sustained non-life-threatening injuries and were transported to the hospital.  

Diaz has been booked on suspicion of assault with force likely to commit great bodily injury, false imprisonment, mayhem, and battery with serious bodily injury. He was also booked on suspicion of unlawful use of a badge, suggesting that he may have pretended to be a law-enforcement officer when he approached the woman.

Larry Metzger, Diaz's boyfriend and the owner of Mix Bar, told the BAR that he'd visited Diaz at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital after learning he'd been hospitalized, and that he appeared to have been "hit with a pipe ... he looked pretty bad, he had stitches on his forehead.”

Diaz was previously arrested in connection with a fire at the Castro's Up Hair in January 2015, and plead guilty in August to felony charges of possession of an incendiary device and commercial burglary. In addition to time served, he was sentenced to one year of mandatory supervision, registering as an arsonist for life, wearing an ankle monitor for the first six months of his release, and receiving counseling.

After being released in September, Diaz was ordered to stay away from 4082-4086 18th St., the building where his former apartment, The Mix, and Up Hair are all located.

According to court records, Diaz is being held without bail and is due in court next Thursday, December 8th at 9am.