Justin Randle, a Glide Foundation safety monitor killed in a Tenderloin hit-and-run, leaves behind three children now under relatives’ guardianship, while a family fundraiser alleges their mother may be connected to his death.
Randle died Sunday after being struck around 1:06 am by a vehicle near Ellis and Polk streets — about a half a mile from Glide Memorial Church. As SFist reported previously, the driver left the scene before police arrived, and a woman was later arrested on Treasure Island on a homicide charge.
While police have not publicly identified the woman, an online fundraiser created by someone who says they’re Randle’s brother raises questions about the possible involvement of the mother of Randle’s three children. The fundraiser says she is in custody facing murder charges and the children are now under family members’ guardianship.
According to the Chronicle, Randle worked as a safety monitor at Glide, the Tenderloin nonprofit where he helped de-escalate conflicts and build relationships with people who came to the organization for services. In a video published by Glide last year, he described how that work brought him into regular contact with community members.
“We build relationships with a lot of the clients,” Randle said. “So most of the time we know the clients by names or we’ve seen clients multiple times and, you know, we build a lot of relationships with them.”
Randle’s responsibilities included helping supervise Glide’s three daily meals and ensuring that people remained safe and followed the organization’s rules, as the Chronicle reports. He also described learning about de-escalation and protective equipment through the job and was credited with helping save seven lives using Narcan, a medication that reverses opioid overdoses.
Rev. Dr. Gina Fromer, Glide’s CEO and president, remembered Randle as a valued member of the organization’s community.
“Justin was a beloved member of the GLIDE community and we are deeply saddened by his sudden passing,” Fromer said in a statement, per the Chronicle. “He embodied our values of radical inclusion and unconditional love in everything he did at GLIDE.”
The online fundraiser says the family is making arrangements to support Randle’s three children, describing Randle as a father whose compassion extended beyond his work at Glide.
“Justin made a huge impact on this world, and his compassion reached so many people,” says the fundraiser.
Anyone with information about Randle’s death is asked to call SFPD at 415-575-4444 or text a tip to TIP411 beginning the message with “SFPD.” Anonymous tips are accepted.
Previously: Woman Arrested on Treasure Island After Suspected Hit-and-Run In SF's Tenderloin
