S.B. Man Charged With Attempted Murder for San Francisco Stabbing

San Francisco prosecutors on Wednesday charged 28-year-old Santa Barbara resident Dustin Semenza with attempted murder, alleging he stabbed one of his friends in a hotel room during a drunken argument. At the court hearing, Semenza asked for a court-appointed attorney and delayed entering a plea until October 9. He remains in jail without bail.

Semenza, the 28-year-old victim, and the victim’s brother — all three live in Santa Barbara — had traveled to the Bay Area on Sunday to watch the San Francisco 49ers play the Indianapolis Colts, officials said. After the game, Semenza and the victim’s brother went out drinking while the victim returned to their room at the Marriott Courtyard on Veterans Boulevard. When the pair arrived hours later, Semenza and the victim reportedly got into a heated argument because he hadn’t originally accompanied his friend back to the hotel.

The brother left for the elevator, and when Semenza caught up with him, said, “Shit got crazy. Don’t worry about it,’” Chief Deputy District Attorney Karen Guidotti told reporters after the hearing. When the brother returned to the room to check on his sibling he found him on the ground and bleeding badly. Police said he was stabbed seven times. The victim, who hasn’t been publicly identified, underwent surgery and is in stable condition. The brother has reportedly not been cooperative with police and a weapon has not been recovered.