The Attack on Humberto Joseph Cepeda, September 1965
At 4:17pm on Sunday, September 5, 1965 — the day before Labor Day — 16-year-old Humberto Cepeda was riding his motorcycle down a hill at 22nd and Noe St.s in San Francisco when he was suddenly shot in the back. The .25 caliber bullet entered high up in his back, then emerged through his upper right chest. Humberto managed to bring his motorcycle to a stop on the side of the curb and get off. He then slumped to the pavement on his back.
Several witnesses heard the gunshot, and the police were called. Humberto was taken to Mission Emergency Hospital, where medical staff found the bullet caught in his clothing. He was reported to be in good condition the following day.
Two witnesses told police that they saw a light-colored station wagon with a rooftop luggage rack coming down the hill behind Humberto, but nobody actually saw the shooting occur. The owner of the station wagon was being sought for questioning; it's unclear if anything ever came of it.
Humberto was a newspaper boy for the News Call Bulletin and lived with his mother, Florence Cepeda (nee Moorhouse), at 269A Chattanooga St at the time. He reportedly had no enemies, and police said the shooting "seemed totally unmotivated."
There were no further news stories on the investigation into the attack, which seems to have gone unsolved. I found out about this case when it was mentioned on a Zodiac forum among possible victims.
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