San Francisco police have charged 30-year-old Valentino Cash Amil with murder and felony hit-and-run following a fatal collision that killed 74-year-old pedestrian Dannielle Spillman. The incident occurred on Monday, April 13, 2026, around 3:23 p.m. at the intersection of Mission Street and South Van Ness Avenue in the city's South of Market (SoMa) neighborhood. Amil was taken into custody after a coordinated effort involving the San Francisco Police Department's Real Time Investigation Center (RTIC).
According to prosecutors, the collision escalated from a verbal dispute over a partially blocked sidewalk. Surveillance video reportedly shows Amil accelerating into Spillman, knocking her onto the hood of his vehicle, and then driving over her before fleeing the scene. District Attorney Brooke Jenkins stated that the video indicates Spillman did not pose a threat to Amil.
Amil's attorney, Seth Morris, disputes this account, claiming his client was attacked by a "homeless, intoxicated and belligerent" individual who pulled on the car doors and climbed onto the hood. Morris stated that Amil, who had his wife and two young children in the car, panicked and drove away to protect his family. He maintains Amil was acting in self-defense.
The San Francisco Police Department utilized its RTIC, which has access to high-tech surveillance tools including cameras and automated license-plate readers (ALPRs), to track Amil's vehicle. Officers located the suspect vehicle on U.S. Highway 101 and conducted a traffic stop near Potrero Avenue and 18th Street, where Amil was detained without incident.
The intersection of Mission Street and South Van Ness Avenue is identified by advocacy group Walk SF as part of the city's "high-injury network," a designation for areas with a disproportionate number of serious traffic incidents. This marks the eighth pedestrian fatality in San Francisco this year. Amil is currently being held without bail, with a bail status hearing scheduled for April 24.
