Police in San Leandro on Tuesday are searching for a suspect believed to have killed a 41-year-old man Monday afternoon during a bloody confrontation.
The homicide was reported around 1:45 p.m. in the 16000 block of Selborne Drive, according to Alameda County Sheriff's Department Sgt. Ray Kelly.
Responding officers found a bloody trail leading to the front door of the house before spotting a "considerable amount of blood" just outside the entrance, according to Kelly. That's when police officers entered the home and found the man, who was pronounced dead at the scene, on the floor.
Kelly said police have a suspect in mind, and it appears that the victim and suspect knew each other.
"This is not a who done it (crime)," Kelly said. "We know who's involved and we have witnesses that were present when this altercation went down and so we're interviewing them and trying to really close out, figure out what this story is and how it got this far out of whack."
An exact reason and motive for the crime is not known at this time, but a possible argument or fight regarding drugs may have led to the death, Kelly said.
Either the suspect or the victim lived at the house, which was known for drug activity, but it's unclear who exactly called it home, according to Kelly.
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Resident Rita Jensen has had her questions about the home where the homicide took place.
"There were always a lot of cars kind of coming and going and they were working on cars a lot," she said. "So it was like, 'OK, who are these people?' I wasn't concerned for my own safety at all. They kept to themselves."
Fortunately for neighbors, police say the homicide appears to be an isolated incident. Jensen agreed with that assumption.
"This is a great neighborhood," she said. "I mean, people take care of their yards, we like each other, nice families, it's very diverse. This is a really nice neighborhood and I don't think what happened here yesterday was a neighborhood issue."
The victim's identity will not be made public until his family is notified, Kelly said.
Anyone with information or residential surveillance footage is asked to contact the Alameda County Sheriff's Department's investigation bureau at 510-667-3636.