March 31, 2008
Manhunt for Sunset Pizza Shooter
The shooting that claimed the lives of two men on Saturday--Daly City resident Jason de la Cruz, 31, and San Francisco resident Derek Butch, 23--was all due to a squabble over free food at Irving Pizza, it seems. Del la Cruz, at right, father of three and a successful Verizon Wireless store manger, was taking his employees out to show "his appreciation for a successful sales month." Jason offered up free pizza to his sales team, heated words were exchanged with a "drunk" customer who wanted in on the pizza bounty de la Cruz was handing out, and then later that night, De la Cruz and Butch were shot and killed a few blocks away.
Oh, and there's a description of the murder suspect:
The shooter was described by police as an Asian male in his 20s of thin build, with short dark hair that is spiky in front and wearing an orange San Francisco Giants jacket and blue jeans. He fled south on 19th Avenue, according to police. The suspect's vehicle was described as a mid-90s, dark blue, two-door car that resembled an Acura Integra or a Honda Civic, police said.
This doesn't do much to narrow it down since that could be anyone at a Giants game, but there you have it. Our hearts go out to the victims' families. For reals.
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This is really sad. A guy goes out and wants to do something nice for his employees, and some jerk has to go and shoot him and a friend over some pizza. And this is in a good neighborhood. wtf, people?
what's really sad is that whoever did it is most likely going to get away with it. or, if they get caught, won't be punished too harshly. such is the price of living in the city, I guess.
I know folks who work with his wife, and they are numb. Three small kids. This is hideous.
as a former sunset resident and frequent irving pizza customer (they have really good pizza!) this sucks. it also gives me something to tell everyone who says to me 'why did you move to west oakland it's so VIOLENT' when that stuff happens even in the safest bay area neighborhoods.
Asian, thin build, spiky hair, wearing a SF Giants jacket, driving a honda or acura? Gee, that narrows it down to most guys in the Inner Sunset and Richmond. I wonder if dual chrome tail pipes and a whale tail where also on the vehicle.
Hopefully a security camera caught the future San Quentin butt boy of the month on tape. Absolutely tragic...
And this is in a good neighborhood.
Yeah, it's no big deal when people get killed in bad neighborhoods. They were probably gangin' it up and deserved it. But in good neighborhoods? So sad!
the "inner tenderset"
@plumpy: I think you're totally missing the point. The point was that nobody expects a shooting to happen in the sunset so it's more of a surprise than the weekly mission shootings; not that it's more tragic than shootings in other areas.
Depending on your SFist view, "at right" also means "thumb on left."
What is it with Americans and their prison-rape fantasies?
You SFist people are gonna love this one. Someone on SF Chron's blog is posting that the 31 year old deserved it because he was a jock in HS who picked on him.
I'm still not sure whether or not that poster realizes that a second person was shot and killed.....a person 8 years younger who didn't go to HS with him and didn't flip his bill.
That's the sad part about the internet. You get shot and killed by a drunken hungry asian pizza lover and then people log on and talk junk on you anonymously?
I mean wishing the HS bully get's a mean boss for life is one thing but........posting he should go to hell for a HS prank? Now that is a real live and true arsehole for you.
@borninthebronx: "picked on him" =/= HS prank. There are certainly some kids from my junior high that I *would* wish this on, and I don't have a problem with someone who was bullied having the same idea.
That being said, I don't know this guy, so I certainly find this a terrible, senseless tragedy.
But if he had made my high school life a living hell, I'd probably feel differently.
Okay yes he was a HS Jock but he was one of the most raddest guys to ever attend Westmoor. Totally not a bully for sure. So what if he was a jock thats no reason to say he deserved it. They obviously didnt know Jason other than that he was a football player. I've known Jason since the 5th grade. He was a popular kid but he got along with everyone.Jason was a kind sensative caring human being with a big heart despite what first impressions may be. He was definatley one of the nice guys for sure and although Im not a violent person I'd go toe to toe with anyone who says he deserved what he got for sure.
From what I read on the chron (before the censorship free for all began), the commenter was not complaining because the victim was a jock, but because he had picked on them. And like I said, having been bullied myself, I can't judge someone for their feelings on the matter.
I just want to know if this is a crime that is actually going to be solved. I would so hate to be a crime victim in this city, because crime seems to be met with such a shoulder shrug here.
The shooter was with people who knew him and NO ONE has turned him in yet? WTF is wrong with people.
Whether this senseless crime was in a good or bad neighborhood in San Francisco the most important point here is that, 2 lives were lost.
I know the family very well and have known Jason for over 14 years. There is nothing in the world that can explain or provide forgiveness for this cold blooded killing.
The killer was arrested luckily yesterday; his name is Matthew Owyang, 19 years old from Daly City. Basically some little boy with a gun who killed a 31 year old man w/3 kids, a wife, loving family, and tons of friends. He also killed a 23 year old man who was with Jason, his name was Derek Butch from San Francisco.
Jason was not a jerk, not a bully, and far from mean. He was loving and caring, was very funny, and a great dad and husband. He was the backbone of his friends and a adored by his family.
Its tragic that some kid with a gun took his life away and now his little children must grow up fatherless.
R.I.P Jason.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/04/02/BA6PVU3TD.DTL
http://jasondelacruz.blogspot.com/