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Suspect Arrested In Brutal Attack On Man Who Mistook Car For Rideshare In SF

SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) -- San Francisco police have made an arrest in a vicious attack on a man who thought he was getting into his rideshare, but was instead brutally attacked.

The incident happened on September 8th at the corner of First and Howard streets. 39-year-old Christopher Matthews was with his wife when a car pulled up and Matthews opened the passenger door, thinking it was their Lyft vehicle.

Fang Booking Photo
Jiacheng Fang (San Francisco Police Dept.)

Instead, surveillance images showed a passenger came out of the car and sucker punched Matthews, causing him to fall backwards and hit the back of his head on the pavement. Matthews was knocked unconscious and was bleeding from his ear, nose and the back of his head.

He suffered a traumatic brain injury and was being cared for at Alta Bates Summit Medical Center.

On Tuesday, San Francisco police announced they had arrested 25-year-old Jiacheng Fang on October 16 in San Jose. Fang is in custody and facing aggravated assault charges.

Chris Matthews
Chris Matthews (Family photo/GoFundMe)

Last month, Matthews' wife, Rebecca, said she was unsure whether he would ever fully recover. "Will i be able to ever leave my husband with the kids alone? I don't know," she said. "Will I be able to let him drive and not worry? I don't know."

Matthews, a father to two toddlers, at last check was On his family's GoFundMe page, the latest update from earlier this month indicated he was recovering but skill needing significant rehabilitation.

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