Two uniformed officers in black stand at a cordoned-off area in late-afternoon light. One officer pulls a strip of bright yellow police tape, while the other, out of focus in the foreground, extends a hand toward the camera.
Vallejo police officers Devin Gunn (left) and Connor Sullivan expand the crime scene near the intersection of Lemon and Third Streets. (Geoffrey King / Open Vallejo)

Vallejo police are investigating the first homicide of 2025 after a man was stabbed in the neck in South Vallejo Friday afternoon.

Around 2:18 p.m., police received a report of a stabbing in the 300 block of Lemon Street, according to dispatch audio. Police found a man unresponsive, but with a pulse, and transported them to Kaiser Permanente Vallejo Medical Center. The victim was pronounced dead at the hospital, Vallejo police spokesperson Sgt. Rashad Hollis told Open Vallejo. 

Police contacted the Solano County Coroner at around 3:00 p.m., according to Hollis.

Vallejo police described the suspect, who is still at large, as an Asian male wearing a black beanie, mask, purple shirt and dress pants. The California Highway Patrol sent a helicopter to assist in the search, but it soon turned around to refuel. The suspect was last seen heading southbound on Porter Street, according to dispatch audio. No arrests have been made, according to Hollis.

The gravity of the incident became clear as the call began to unfold, when Lt. Steve Darden, the afternoon watch commander, expressed concern that police were dealing with a homicide and emphasized the need to restrict access.

A black police SUV with its emergency lights activated is parked on a sunlit street. In the foreground, a man in dark clothing is out of focus as he walks past the camera. On the pavement between them lies an orange jacket. A chain-link fence and large vehicles are visible in the background.
Vallejo police detective Daniel Callison walks through the crime scene. (Geoffrey King / Open Vallejo)

Four Vallejo police detectives and three investigators from the Solano County District Attorney’s Office were present at the scene, including supervisors Chief District Attorney Investigator Mason Mineni and Vallejo Police Det. Sgt. Joshua Caitham.

The incident underscores a grim start to Vallejo’s new year. A streak of gun violence left at least five people injured over the first two weeks of 2025, including a 4-year-old girl in Vallejo’s Crest neighborhood. On Thursday, Crime Survivors for Safety and Justice held a press conference where local elected officials and police announced gun violence prevention efforts and called for regional and state support to address violent crime in the city.

Vallejo has seen 20 or more homicides each of the past four years. The last homicide in Vallejo occurred on New Year’s Eve, closing out one of the city’s deadliest years in decades with 25 homicides.

Matthew Brown is an investigative reporter at Open Vallejo.