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DSA In the News

Murder victim shot in head


More details emerged in Tuesday night’s Hillsborough homicide in which Bradley Kleiman shot longtime friend Christopher Calvache in the head in a pool house on De Salba Road, according to police. 

Kleiman has a long criminal history, ranging from driving without a license, vandalism, narcotics possession and assault with serious injuries, police Capt. Mark O’Connor said.

He was on active parole, O’Connor said, and spent time at San Quentin State Prison.

Calvache, 30, was visiting Kleiman at the home of his parents in Hillsborough when the incident took place.

The two men were apparently home alone in the pool house where Kleiman, 30, lives. The building is detached from the main five-bedroom home at De Salba Road and Sherwood Court.

Kleiman’s father, Steven, is a prominent San Mateo lawyer.

Kleiman called police himself after he allegedly shot his friend. He told police his friend pulled out a gun first, O’Connor said.

Police recovered the murder weapon at the scene after his arrest.

“We are fortunate to have the suspect in custody and lucky to have the murder weapon,” O’Connor said. “The key for us now is to find gun ownership.”

Police found three shell casings on the scene.

At least 10 Hillsborough police officers have been assigned to the case and the department is preparing several search warrants to find out who owned the gun.

Police had blood drawn from Kleiman at the scene to determine whether he may have been intoxicated or on drugs when the shooting took place.

Kleiman participated in the interview process, O’Connor said.

An autopsy is scheduled today for Calvache’s body and police hope to learn the trajectory of the bullet as it struck the victim’s head.

Three shots were fired and police suspect the first round struck Calvache, a San Francisco resident, in the head, O’Connor said.

Kleiman called 911 at 6:05 p.m.

“He said, ‘He pulled the gun on me, and I shot him,’” O’Connor said.

But when officers arrived, they found only one gun.

Calvache was pronounced dead at the scene and Kleiman was arrested on suspicion of murder. He was booked into San Mateo County Jail Wednesday morning.

The shooting was “tragic” but isolated, O’Connor said.

The criminal investigation continues and will focus on ownership of the weapon as well as physical evidence at the scene.

The San Mateo County District Attorney’s Office confirmed his previous convictions.

“To my knowledge, he was on parole for recklessly evading a police officer and DUI causing bodily injury, out of our county,” according to Assistant District Attorney Karen Guidotti.

He also had a drug possession case in Santa Barbara in 1998, according to Guidotti.

Kleiman is currently being held at the San Mateo County Jail on murder charges and will be arraigned Friday, June 18.

The last murder in Hillsborough was Priscilla Ng in June 2004. That case was never solved.

It was the third homicide in San Mateo County in six days. David Lewis, 54, a prominent community leader in East Palo Alto was shot dead last Wednesday in San Mateo at the Hillsdale Shopping Center. John La Pierre, 20, was shot dead in San Bruno Friday night. No suspects have been arrested in either of those cases.