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Vol. 46 • No. 49 • December 8-14, 2016
Diaz, accused in assault, back in jail
Bay Area grieves Ghost Ship fire victims
by Seth Hemmelgarn
D Hundreds of people gathered at Oakland’s Lake Merritt Monday for a candlelight vigil to mourn the 36 lives lost in the Ghost Ship warehouse fire.
by Seth Hemmelgarn
M
any in the Bay Area are grieving the loss of 36 individuals, including three who identified as transgender people, who died in a fire at an Oakland warehouse known as the Ghost Ship. The space, which had reportedly
housed several artists, was the site of an electronic music concert Friday night, December 2, when a three-alarm blaze erupted at 11:32. Officials are investigating what led to the fire at the Fruitvale district warehouse, which had been the subject of complaints as recently as November.
One of the victims, Cash Askew, 22, of Oakland, was part of the band Them Are Us Too. Askew recently told journalist Beth Winegarner, “As a young teenager, I was definitely attracted to goth and new wave in part because See page 21 >>
avid Munoz Diaz, who was acquitted in 2014 of murdering another man during a sexual encounter in San Francisco’s Buena Vista Park, and then released from jail in September in an unrelated Rick Gerharter arson case, is back in custody after he allegedly as- David Munoz Diaz at his 2015 saulted another man. Diaz, 27, was booked arraignment. into custody Tuesday, November 29 on suspicion of assault with force likely to commit great bodily injury, unlawful use of a badge, false imprisonment, mayhem, and battery with serious bodily injury, according to sheriff ’s department records. He allegedly bit the victim’s head, “taking See page 22 >>
Castro homeless program sees results Safe injection Michael Nugent
by Matthew S. Bajko
less noted their friendly interaction was a success. Members of the arly last Thursday morncity’s Homeless Outreach Team, ing Elester Hubbard and twice a week they are hired by the Charles Garcia set out on Castro Cares program to focus a loop through the heart of San solely on interacting with homeFrancisco’s Castro district in less individuals in the gayborhood. search of homeless individuals “Sometimes we get a warm interested in utilizing an array welcome and sometimes people of city services, from temporary don’t want to be bothered. All of housing to medical care. our services are voluntary,” said Stocked with a number of care Hubbard, who has worked for packages – plastic re-sealable bags more than a year as an emergency filled with power bars, a juice box, responder for the city’s Homesocks, and toiletries, they walked less Outreach Team and has been first along the 500 and 400 blocks working for the Castro Cares proof Castro Street then turned north gram since August. “Even if they Rick Gerharter up Market Street and stopped at decline services, we aim to build a Jane Warner Plaza, the public par- Homeless Outreach Team members Elester Hubbard, left, and Charles rapport with them.” klet built at the intersection there Garcia offer assistance to a couple of men sitting near the Muni platform. On this morning on a section of 17th Street. Hubbard and Garcia when he asked if she needed any services. She Half a dozen homeless individwere also promoting the uals were hanging out next to the Muni platform told the B.A.R. she avoided staying in city-run December 7 Project Homeless Conin the plaza, and several accepted the pair’s offer shelters because she has “a lot of anxiety issues.” nect event, where homeless individuOriginally from Los Angeles, Evans said she als could access numerous services of a care package. One woman, Lexie Evans, 25, arrived in San Francisco in February when she had slept in the parklet that night with a male under one roof. Over the course of 90 left Humboldt. Overall, she has had a “positive” minutes, they had encountered close companion, as she said the person they had been experience while in the city. staying with was in the hospital. to a dozen people on Market Street between “I haven’t had any problems out here. It has Castro and Octavia Boulevard, many they had “I like it better than the Haight. People are friendlier here,” Evans, who is bisexual, told been fun getting to know the interesting per- never met before. sonalities out here,” she said, adding that the the Bay Area Reporter when asked why she had Most engaged with them briefly, either acceptCastro “has become home to me.” spent the night in the city’s LGBT district. ing a care package or a flier about the upcomWhile Evans and her friend declined their Earlier, when asked by Hubbard how her See page 15 >> health was, Evans responded, “OK,” but declined offer of services, Hubbard and Garcia nonethe-
E
sites get boost from Garcia by Cynthia Laird
S
afe injection sites, supported by harm reduction advocates as a way for homeless people who use drugs and other addicts to do so in a supervised environment, Rick Gerharter got a boost last week Health Director from Health Director Barbara Garcia Barbara Garcia. Garcia addressed a Board of Supervisors committee meeting last week where she was quoted by the San Francisco Chronicle as saying, “I think even if we were to open one it would be very successful.” That comment prompted a wave of support from LGBT health advocates and others. Gay Supervisor David Campos tweeted his support of Garcia’s comment December 1. “THANK YOU to Health Director #BarbaraGarcia for having courage to say she supports supervised safe injection sites as a matter of health policy!” he wrote. See page 21 >>
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