Crime & Safety

Police Investigating Homicide on Cypress Avenue in San Bruno

The alleged assailant has been arrested. Police haven't yet identified the victim.

Story updated at 1pm.

Police are investigating a homicide after finding someone slain on Cypress Avenue on Sunday night.

Nicholas Vargas, 24, of San Bruno was arrested in connection with the crime and has been charged with murder. He was booked into San Mateo County Jail following the homicide.

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Officers responded to a report of a male subject lying unresponsive on the ground on the 400 block of Cypress Avenue about 10:26 p.m. Upon arrival, the victim appeared to have sustained traumatic injuries, police said. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

The identity of the victim hasn’t yet been released pending notification of next of kin.

Find out what's happening in Pacificawith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Residents in the Huntington Park neighborhood were shocked to hear about a murder happening on the quiet, tree-lined street filled with families—many of whom have lived in their homes for decades.

One resident, who asked to remain anonymous, said he was watching a movie with his wife when he heard police swarm the area shortly after the incident happened. He said he saw about 15 police cars surrounding what appeared to be one home's driveway, and officers had blocked off the entire street.

The atmosphere wasn't chaotic, though, the resident said.

"The officers were saying, 'Don't worry. We have everything under control,'" he said.

Another longtime resident said most folks on that block of Cypress Avenue are nice people and that everyone always speaks to one another.

"I've been here for 30 years, and I've never heard about nothing like this," the resident said.

The last murder in San Bruno was in June 2010, when 20-year-old John La Pierre was shot dead in the Belle Air neighborhood while sitting in his car in front of his home on the 700 block of Sixth Avenue.

There were no witnesses, and police have yet to make an arrest in the case.

La Pierre's death was the city's first homicide since 2008.

The investigation into Sunday's homicide is still ongoing and police are asking anyone with information related to the case to contact the  at 650-616-7100.

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