Months after a brutal street assault in San Diego’s Midway District left a man in a prolonged coma and later dead, a 60-year-old suspect has been arrested across state lines in Arizona, police say.
San Diego police identified Noel Frischknecht as a person of interest in the October 2025 attack on the 3300 block of Midway Drive that critically injured 68-year-old Brian Salatino. According to investigators, Frischknecht was arrested on May 9 in Mohave County, Arizona, on an outstanding San Diego County Superior Court warrant tied to Salatino’s death and is being held there pending extradition.
Midway assault leads to 100-day coma
Officers responded to the reported assault around 5:40 p.m. on Oct. 26, 2025 and found Salatino badly injured, according to the San Diego Police Department. They provided emergency medical aid at the scene before Salatino was rushed to a hospital.
Salatino remained in a coma for roughly 100 days. After months in intensive care, he died of his injuries on Feb. 3. Western Division detectives later named Frischknecht as a person of interest, and a San Diego County Superior Court arrest warrant connected to the case was issued, as reported by NBC 7 San Diego.
Detectives still looking for tips
Investigators are still piecing together what led up to the violence on Midway Drive. The department has not released information about a possible motive or whether any additional suspects are being sought, according to the City of San Diego.
Police are asking anyone who may have witnessed the incident, has surveillance footage from the area, or has heard anything useful since the attack to come forward.
Arrest in Mohave County
Frischknecht was taken into custody on May 9 by the Mohave County Sheriff’s Department and is being held in an Arizona jail while extradition is processed, according to NBC 7 San Diego. The arrest stems from the outstanding San Diego County Superior Court warrant connected to Salatino’s death.
What happens next
Extradition proceedings must be completed before Frischknecht can be brought back to San Diego. After that, the district attorney’s office and local courts will determine what formal charges, if any, will be filed.
In the meantime, detectives say they are continuing to gather evidence and follow leads. Anyone with information is asked to call the San Diego Police Department’s Homicide Unit at 619-531-2293 or Crime Stoppers at 888-580-8477.
