A young man has been arrested in the stabbing death of Walter “Ras” Riley last June 22nd in Ocean Beach.
Noah Mitchell Jackson, 19, is being held in the San Diego Central Jail after his arrest in Hunting Beach in Orange County on Tuesday, Feb. 20, on suspicion of first-degree murder. With his bail currently set at $2 million, he is scheduled to appear in court Thursday.
Jackson was arrested by San Diego Police detectives along with local police and the U.S. Marshals Service. So far, no motive for the deadly attack has been publicly released, and police declined to report what evidence led them to the suspect. San Diego police obtained an arrest warrant for Jackson after identifying him as the lone suspect.
Walter “Ras” Riley was a well-known local homeless guy, 65, who has been described as friendly, gentle, well-liked – and who sold incense at times. On June 22nd, 2017, he met his death at the hands of an assailant – whose image was caught on local business surveillance cameras.
Around 12:30 a.m. a person called 911 to report a man being attacked by another man on Bacon Street, a half block north of Newport. When police arrived, Riley was on the sidewalk with multiple stab wounds to his upper body. He was rushed to UC San Diego Medical Center but did not survive.
The fatal attack on Riley appeared to be unprovoked, according to police. A witness told police that it appeared the suspect and Riley had some sort of conversation before the attack.
In hopes of getting the public help them identify the suspect, after the slaying during their investigation, police released surveillance footage which showed a white or light-skinned Latino man dressed in baggy blue jeans and a light-colored gray hooded sweatshirt. Several months later, SDPD released still photos of the suspect taken from the footage.
A business security camera had captured images of the suspect – to be believed just before the assault. The suspect left the scene going to Newport and then east.
Suspect Noah Mitchell Jackson
Not much is known at this point about Jackson, the suspect. Press reports say booking records indicate he was 18 years old at the time of Riley’s death. Police also stated he is a local man. Why did he do it? Just what was his motive? Was it totally random – or was there some history between Riley and Jackson?
Police told this reporter back in mid-January they knew who killed Riley but could not, understandably, release any other info.
Jackson’s arrest allows the community of Ocean Beach to take a huge sigh of relief. At least now a suspect is in custody – thanks to the diligence of SDPD detectives. However, the investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information on this case can reach out to the SDPD Homicide Unit at (619) 531-2293 or Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477.
Coincidentally, the two out-standing murders of the Peninsula – Riley’s in OB – and the murder case of Elizabeth Sullivan, a Point Loma Navy spouse and mother who was also stabbed, have taken huge steps in possible resolutions. Sullivan’s husband was just arrested on January 31st. Elizabeth had gone in 2014 and whose body was found two years later floating in San Diego Bay right off Point Loma.
Also, coincidentally, these two-outstanding local OB and Point Loma murder cases, the only ones this reporter is aware of, were cases where both victims were African-American. Now with the arrests of apparently fairly solid suspects in these murders, the Peninsula community can now have a sense that probably these murderers are not walking around in the community.
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