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Popular street vendor stabbed to death in Ocean Beach

Posted at 6:44 PM, Jun 22, 2017
and last updated 2017-06-22 22:02:54-04

An Ocean Beach man was brutally stabbed to death on the street early Thursday morning. That afternoon, friends gathered to pay their respects to a man they say was a popular vendor who sold incense on the street. 

"He would stand around here when they'd have the windows open and there would be a nice band playing," said Bruce Norris. He's known Raz, or the "Incense Man" for eight years now. 

"He just walked around doing his own thing trying to sell incense."

Where he once stood and sold his perfumed products would later lie his blood-stained clothes. Police say he was stabbed to death near the corner or Bacon Street and Newport Avenue. 

"At first, it was kind of surreal," said Norris. "You wake up and you're like, 'Okay, I'm gonna see the same people every day.""

But, that wouldn't be the case. 

"Honestly, I almost broke out crying. He's a nice dude."

Norris says Incense Man was homeless just like him. 

Posts on a neighborhood Facebook page show he may have had enemies and been a target. 10News blurred out the post to protect their identities. 

"People are sick and they need to understand we're humans too," said Norris. 

For him, a life, and a friend were taken in senseless violence. 

"He really didn't do much. He just wandered around and did what he felt was awesome with his life," said Norris. "And someone took that."

Police are still searching for the attacker. He's described as White or Hispanic wearing a hooded sweatshirt and jeans.