South San Francisco man stabs roommate over smoking

San Mateo County Times ^ | 11/25/2009 08:21:41 PM PST | Joshua Melvin

[walkerk]

REDWOOD CITY — A South San Francisco man faces attempted murder charges for stabbing his roommate in the face and neck after a disagreement about smoking on a balcony turned violent, officials said.

Bernie Castro, 58, started arguing with his 48-year-old roommate after the man left the balcony door open in the first block of Gardiner Avenue while he had a cigarette on Nov. 11, said South San Francisco Sgt. Joni Lee. The roommate, who has shared a house with Castro for three years, came back in after the cigarette and opened some windows.

The arguing escalated to violence when Castro allegedly punched the victim in the mouth. Lee said the fight stopped there and the victim went into his room for about 30 minutes.

But after he went out to smoke another cigarette, the arguing started up again. This time, however, Castro pulled out a folding knife and began attacking his roommate, Lee said. He was stabbed about eight times in the head, neck and face but is expected to recover, she added.

"It's just another good reason not to smoke," Lee said.

Castro is due back in court Dec. 9 and faces up to nine years in prison if convicted, said San Mateo County Assistant District Attorney Karen Guidotti. He is in custody in lieu of $500,000 bail.

[walkerk]

Wonder if they're still roommates.

[Dilbert San Diego]

I wonder sometimes how people get violent over things. Yes it’s irritating if someone is smoking and you don’t like it, but the next step is trying to kill somebody?

[Past Your Eyes]

“Do you smoke after sex?”

[Diana in Wisconsin]

‘The Odd Couple, Oscar & Felix: The Golden Years’

[scoobysnak71]

>””It’s just another good reason not to smoke,” Lee said. “

Are you F***ing serious???!!!!!

[Ken522]

I don't think they're heteros, so maybe they don't follow normal emotional reactions to events ...

[cripplecreek]

Maybe Castro can claim self defense.

[cashless]

This time, however, Castro pulled out a folding knife...

Should I assume he pulled this wapon from his man purse?

[cashless]

This time, however, Castro pulled out a folding knife...

Should I assume he pulled this weapon from his man purse?

[Dr. Sivana]

I think Castro was concerned about his roomie’s health. Smoking can kill you! Any measures to prevent a slow-motion suicide are justifiable taken in that light.

[tflabo]

Silly Bernie, you could have charged him for carbon emissions or played a little game of cap n trade. Think of the many ways thweety.... oh well...life’s a beach to go solo and gay these days for just a little inconvenience of smoke from little white ‘faggots’.

[Armedanddangerous]

His “European Shoulder Bag” maybe.

[livius]

South SF. Actually, they’re probably marginal winos who have somehow gotten an apartment (probably city funded).

[sodpoodle]

*”It’s just another good reason not to smoke,” Lee said.***

Sgt. Joni Lee!!!

I suppose if it was a Muslim stabbing a Christian, Sgt. Lee would say “It’s just another good reason not to be a Christian.”

I’ll bet the stabber is a former smoker. They are miserable people - the nicest people I meet are smokers. The meanest are always the hall monitors in our lives - liberals.

[Joe 6-pack]

I'm surprised it took this long to happen. I figure with all the hysteria about second hand smoke, and it's direct threat to health, Castro probably has a pretty good case for self defense. He can claim that his roomate's smoking posed a direct risk to his life, because we all know second hand smoke is such a lethal killer, so he only stabbed him in an effort to protect himself.

If I were his attorney, I would cite the fact that local, state and federal governments have all recognized that smoking is a horrrible scourge, and second hand smoke poses a direct risk to the life of innocent breathers. I'm not sure what CA's self defense law says, but I'm guessing he had a right to protect his own life, and nobody argues that smoking kills...

Liberal absurdity will reach a new apex when his case his dismissed on these or similar arguments.

[diefree]

I don’t know, I never looked.

[cavador]

Well it looks like he will get a new roomate-this time in the state pen.I hope his new roomate is a sweaty bearded 6ft 5” 300lb obese biker who expects him to pick up the soap in the shower.

[TheBattman]

I guess this is proof that smoking is indeed bad for your health...

[babygene]

You know, for all of this crap over smoking;

When someone wants to commit suicide, they often go out to the garage and start up the car. Going out to the garage and lighting up is ineffective. You would have to stray out there for decades...

...Yet the same people who cant stand smoking pollute everyone else’s air by driving.

[Past Your Eyes]

[DownInFlames]

I guess smoking really does kill.

[Armedanddangerous]

Am I wrong in finding Flo sexy?

[johnandrhonda]

I’d hit it....

[Past Your Eyes]

You don’t have one of those European shoulder bags do you?

[Telepathic Intruder]

Most crimes are usually always the victim’s fault. Smoking causes global warming according to Al Gore.

[Redbob]

"Well it looks like he will get a new roomate-this time in the state pen.I hope his new roomate is a sweaty bearded 6ft 5” 300lb obese biker who expects him to pick up the soap in the shower."

I'm guessing he'll be fine with that...

[HiTech RedNeck]

Where there’s smoke, there’s ire.

[gwilhelm56]

**Am I wrong in finding Flo sexy?** OK.. you owe me a KEYBOARD..

[fieldmarshaldj]

...with a shovel.

[SIDENET]

LOL.

Probably.

[Cementjungle]

They’ll probably wind up giving the guy a medal or something.

[NightOfTheLivingDems]

Sounds like a newsroom scuffle at the New York Times.

[mesoman7]

Butt rage?

OK...wait. That didn’t come out right.

Or did it?

[Renderofveils]

Personally for me it’s the customer in the “tricked out name tag” commercial. Monica Creel, one of the Creel triplets.

[Sir Francis Dashwood]

“Do you smoke after sex?”

I never checked...

[Snurple]

This Flo aka Stephanie without all the make up...

[Armedanddangerous]

I don’t call it that. I call it a “concealed carry briefcase.” 8-)

[Armedanddangerous]

http://www.austin360.com/tv/content/tv/stories/2008/10/1020progressive.html

[RetiredNavy]

Of course he is serious, smoking causes stabbing, just like owning a gun forces you to shoot people. Where in the hell have you been that you don’t know this???

[Armedanddangerous]

ever watch NCIS? She sort of reminds me of Abby’s little sister..

[calex59]

"It's just another good reason not to smoke," Lee said.

Well here's an intelligent statement by one of out finest. Instead of saying what a turkey the guy that stabbed the smoker was, he castigates the smoker and makes the stabber the victim.

[calex59]

Well it looks like he will get a new roomate-this time in the state pen.I hope his new roomate is a sweaty bearded 6ft 5” 300lb obese biker who expects him to pick up the soap in the shower, who smokes

Fixed it for you:)

[scoobysnak71]

>”Where in the hell have you been that you don’t know this???”

Man, I dont know. I think I must have lost my mind.....