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On November 13, 2022, Curtis Lind, an 80-year-old landlord in Vallejo, California, was attacked and severely wounded during a violent confrontation with tenants at his property. During the incident, Lind was impaled with a sword and suffered multiple injuries but survived after shooting two of his alleged attackers, killing Emma Borhanian (31). The incident occurred amid rising tensions over unpaid rent and an impending eviction, according to San Francisco Chronicle reporting^[1].

Following the incident, Suri Dao (21) and Somni Logencia (27) were charged with murder for Borhanian's death under the provocative act murder doctrine, as well as attempted murder and aggravated mayhem for the attack on Lind. As of January 2025, both Dao and Leatham remain in custody awaiting trial and had both attempted to escape custody on separate occasions.

Lind was set to be the sole eyewitness in their criminal trial scheduled for April 2025, and prosecutors noted significant challenges with the case including a lack of surveillance footage, ballistics evidence, or social media records^[2]. On January 17, 2025, days before he was scheduled to testify as the prosecution's key witness, Lind was murdered outside his Vallejo property in what prosecutors believe was a connected killing (see Second Curtis Lind Stabbing).

Background

Lind owned a property on the 600 block of Third Street in Vallejo where he rented space to several tenants, including members of what would later be identified as the Zizian group. According to Patrick McMillan, a friend and tenant of Lind's who spoke to multiple news outlets, the tenants had been living in box trucks and RVs on his property since approximately November 2019, having met Lind through the local boating community when he sold them an anchor.

In a documentary interview from August 21, 2024, Lind confirmed this account, describing how he met the group when selling them an anchor for their boat. Court records show that by October 2022, Lind had secured a judgment against the tenants for approximately $60,000 in back rent. The tenants had initially paid rent but stopped paying during the COVID-19 pandemic around March 2020, taking advantage of the eviction moratorium.

The Incident

Multiple Accounts

The events of November 13, 2022, have been recounted differently by various parties involved. According to Octavia, who provided an account to Ken the Cowboy, the incident occurred as the tenants were preparing to leave the property. In this version, Somni was wearing a flak jacket due to prior safety concerns, and the confrontation escalated into both gunfire and sword wounds. Octavia reports that Emma Borhanian was shot and died within approximately 20 seconds, while Somni survived three gunshot wounds due to wearing body armor.

Lind's own account, provided in his 2024 documentary interview, describes being approached by Suri Dao about a water leak in her trailer. He states that when he bent over to check the water, he was attacked and lost consciousness. Upon regaining consciousness, he found himself surrounded by three attackers, having suffered approximately 50 puncture wounds, damage to his right eye, and a sword impaled through his chest near his heart. Lind states he then drew his gun and fired in self-defense, fatally shooting Emma Borhanian and wounding Somni before running out of ammunition and walking away.

Patrick McMillan, quoted in a KTVU report from November 15, 2022, described Lind appearing at his door covered in blood with a sword protruding through his body. McMillan recalled Lind saying "I'm dying" and noted that he had a "flap of his face cut off."

Aftermath

The incident resulted in one death and multiple injuries. Emma Borhanian, age 31, died from gunshot wounds at the scene. Somni Logencia survived multiple gunshot wounds, while Curtis Lind required one month of hospitalization for his injuries, which included approximately 50 puncture wounds, the loss of his right eye, a sword wound through his chest, and facial lacerations, as reported by Open Vallejo in "Man killed in Vallejo was main witness in upcoming murder trial" (January 2025).

Following the incident, Suri Dao and Somni Logencia were charged with murder (for Borhanian's death under the provocative act murder doctrine), attempted murder, and aggravated mayhem. Jack "Ziz" LaSota, who had previously faked their death, was found at the scene by police but was not charged, according to Open Vallejo's January 2025 article "Zizian namesake who faked death in 2022 is wanted in two states." A witness reportedly later saw Gwen Danielson retrieving belongings from the property in late 2022 or early 2023.

After the attack, Thomas Young told Open Vallejo that investigators discovered evidence including surgical equipment, multiple laptops, and containers of lye in the box trucks left on the property.

Investigation Challenges

District Attorney Krishna Abrams noted that the case presented unique evidentiary challenges, according to Open Vallejo's January 2025 reporting. Unlike typical homicide cases, there was no surveillance video, firearm ballistics evidence, or social media records available. Furthermore, the primary witnesses, including Lind and another elderly man, demonstrated significant memory decline, complicating the prosecution's case.

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^{^}
SF Chronicle, 22 November 2022, "Two Alleged Squatters Charged In Vallejo Death of Friend and Sword Attack on Landlord"
^{^}
Open Vallejo, 27 January 2025, Man killed in Vallejo was main witness in upcoming murder trial

First Curtis Lind Stabbing (2022)