Excelsior News

Photo taken from the Examiner Website. Early-morning dispute leaves 14-year-old dead Aug 1, 2008 3:00 AM (12 hrs ago) by Mike Aldax, The Examiner » 12 hrs ago: Early-morning dispute leaves 14-year-old dead «

Early-morning dispute leaves 14-year-old dead Aug 1, 2008 3:00 AM (12 hrs ago) by Mike Aldax, The Examiner » 12 hrs ago: Early-morning dispute leaves 14-year-old dead «

(Mike Aldax/The Examiner) Mourning a friend: People gather where 14-year-old Ivan Miranda collapsed after suffering multiple stab wounds. Miranda’s death is the 59th homicide this year in San Francisco Filed under: SAN FRANCISCO , Mike Aldax , Ivan Miranda

SAN FRANCISCO (Map, News) - Mourners gathered on the corner of a quiet residential block in the Excelsior district Thursday afternoon to grieve the death of a 14-year-old Mission High School sophomore who was fatally stabbed there in the dark hours of morning.

Ivan Miranda, 14, of San Francisco, became The City’s youngest homicide victim this year after suffering multiple stab wounds at the corner of Persia Avenue and Madrid Street at about 1:30 a.m., police said. He was rushed to San Francisco General Hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries.

Just minutes before the late-night stabbing, the boy had been walking down the street with a girl at Persia Avenue and Lisbon Street when the two were confronted by four teenage boys, Sgt. Neville Gittens said.

The girl told Miranda to run, and even pushed one of the attackers who demanded money from her, police said.

When the group fled, she caught up to Miranda at Madrid Street and found him suffering from stab wounds, police said.

No arrests have been made in the case, Gittens said.

The boy’s death has left a chill on the quiet, breezy neighborhood block where the attack occurred. Family and friends lit candles and laid roses in two separate ceremonies on the northernmost corners of Persia Avenue — one on the corner where friends believed Miranda was stabbed, and the other across the street near a stop sign, where they said Miranda had collapsed from his wounds.

Trails of Miranda's blood remained in the shadow of the stop sign, beneath the rustling trees of the suburban-style residential block.

Friends said the suspects knew Miranda and that the killing was the result of an ongoing dispute. They said they didn’t believe the incident was gang-related.

“It's just ongoing beef between people,” said one friend, who declined to give his name. “It’s just the way it is. It’s a cycle.”

As of Thursday, authorities had not confirmed a cause for the attack. An investigation was underway, Gittens said.

The homicide was the 59th in San Francisco this year. At this time last year, there were 64.