LIVININTHELOIN

A homeless man with a history of violence has been arrested for allegedly attacking a stranger on Market Street who died hours after being assaulted, San Francisco police said Monday.

Matthew A. Adams, 38, was found dead Saturday night in his room at 1169 Market St. by his girlfriend.

The woman told police that a man attacked Adams without provocation as the couple were walking near Seventh and Market streets at 1:30 a.m. Saturday, said Lt. Mike Stasko of the police homicide detail.

Adams refused medical treatment at the scene, police said.

“He said he was OK,” Stasko said, “and he walked home from where he was assaulted.”

Adams’ girlfriend left later that morning. When she returned to his room about 8:30 p.m., Adams was dead.

On Sunday, police arrested Edward W. Holloway, 54, of San Francisco on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon and battery, and for 11 outstanding warrants for alleged quality-of-life crimes such as public drunkenness.

He has not been booked on suspicion of murder in Adams’ death, pending a determination by the medical examiner on whether Adams died because of the attack or from another cause.

Police are investigating the matter as a homicide, however.

Stasko said Holloway has a history of attacking people on the street without provocation. He also has a long criminal record in Los Angeles and San Francisco for theft, drug offenses and public intoxication, the lieutenant said.

In March, police arrested Holloway on suspicion of felony assault after he allegedly hit another homeless man in the leg with a baseball bat and slammed a can of beer into the side of his head, authorities said. The district attorney’s office dismissed the case because the victim was unavailable to testify against Holloway, records show.

Holloway was arrested again later in March on Sixth Street for allegedly carrying a concealed weapon, but prosecutors discharged the case “in the interest of justice,” records show.

In May, Holloway was arrested on a domestic violence charge stemming from an incident at Turk and Taylor streets in which he allegedly stabbed a former girlfriend in the hand in a dispute over $30, records show.

A month later, the district attorney’s office dropped that case on the day of the preliminary hearing, records show. Prosecutors said the woman was unavailable to testify.

Jaxon Van Derbeken SFGate

SFGate comment:

There’s nothing like chronic alcoholism in a mean drunk. I wonder how much this loser cost us taxpayers for rides and meals at SF General.

Thanks a lot Chris Daly & Associates (and understudies). You’re doing an exemplary job of killing tourism and destroying our infrastructure.