SAN FRANCISCO (BCN)—Two additional suspects have been arrested in connection with a homicide in which a homeless man was allegedly beaten and tortured and thrown into a Golden Gate Park lake earlier this year, San Francisco police said today.
Michael Grasso, 26, and Sahmanntha Rundstrom, 19, were arrested in connection with the death of 66-year-old Stephen Williams, whose body was found lying facedown at Golden Gate Park’s Alvord Lake by a gardener around 7 a.m. on May 24.
Grasso was taken into custody in San Francisco on Tuesday, while Rundstrom was arrested the same day in Flagstaff, Arizona, by police there, police Officer Giselle Talkoff said.
Rundstrom’s arrest came about after an investigator with the district attorney’s office who was working with homicide detectives contacted Flagstaff police, Talkoff said.
Grasso is being held in San Francisco County Jail on suspicion of murder and inflicting injury on an elder likely to cause great bodily injury, with bail set at more than $1 million, according to jail records.
Rundstrom will be extradited back to San Francisco, police said.
Police previously arrested Stephen Billingsley, 20, and Niki Williams, 34, in connection with the attack. Billingsley has been charged with murder, and both he and Williams face charges including kidnapping, elder abuse, assault and torture.
Both suspects had no prior arrest record in San Francisco and are believed to be transients without any longstanding ties to the city, according to police.
Court documents indicate Billingsley and Niki Williams harassed and attacked the victim over a period of more than three days before knocking him unconscious near the lake. Billingsley then allegedly dragged him into the lake, along with other unknown suspects.
Billingsley and Niki Williams have pleaded not guilty to all charges and remain in custody in San Francisco County Jail.