Watch CBS News

SFPD Seeks Help To Find Killer Of Oakland Teacher, Teen Mentor

SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) --  San Francisco homicide investigators Wednesday released security camera images of three people wanted for questioning in the fatal shooting of a teacher, football coach and teen mentor who was killed in the city's South of Market neighborhood in June.

Carlo Tateo, a physical education teacher at Skyline High School in Oakland, was shot during an argument in the 1500 block of Folsom Street in an area near the Calle 11 and Holy Cow nightclubs on June 18 around 2 a.m.

The 31-year-old father was with a group of friends when the argument occurred with a suspect described as a man in his late 20s.

Commander Greg McEachern, head of SFPD's Investigations Bureau, called the fatal shooting a "heinous crime."

"We do not believe that the suspects or Mr. Tateo had ever met before," McEachern told reporters. "Those individuals (the three wanted for questioning) had been in the area for about an hour (before the shooting) - talking with patrons coming and going from the area so it wasn't as if they had just shown up and got out of a car."

"As Mr. Tateo and the group were coming up to go into the nightclubs or leaving, two of the individuals started to harass one of the females who was in his group," McEachern said. "He (Tateo) politely asked them to move on and then senselessly was shot and killed."

Investigators say Tateo didn't know the two men who began to harass some female members of his group.

"We believe (the shooting) was almost instantaneous (after the argument started)," McEachern said.

Police say three people on the sidewalk -- two men and a woman -- are persons of interest in the murder.

Tateo was treated at the scene by paramedics, but died a short time later at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital.

McEachern said police had identified which of the three people was the suspected gunman, but would not reveal who it was because of the ongoing investigation.

As McEachern spoke with reporters, he was surrounded by Tateo's family who emotionally asked for the public's help in finding the three people.

"I just want the public to know that we need your help," said Tateo's mother, Sonya. "I'm not consumed by what I have seen on the video tape, I'm more focused on my son's life, what he has left behind -- a beautiful daughter and I'm just trying to hold my family together."

Tateo's family said he was very active with Oakland's youth and was a football coach at Skyline High School.

"His life was about helping young kids, kids in trouble," said Tateo's uncle Don Apperson. "He worked at a recreational center in East Oakland where he helped troubled teens in the area to get their lives together."

Sonja Tateo is the mother of victim.

She said, "I just want the public to know that we need your help."

Carlo Tateo leaves behind a young daughter, a girlfriend and a loving family who hope the newly released images will lead to an arrest, and closure.

"If you recognize someone, please make a phone call. We don't want this to happen to another family," Sonja Tateo said.

Take a close look at the photos and if you recognize someone, please make call investigators.

Anyone recognizing the persons of interest, or anyone who has information regarding the shooting is asked to call the SFPD Tip Line at 415-557-4444 or test a tip to Tip411 and begin the text message with'SFPD'.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.