Former SF public defender stabbed to death at her SF home

San Francisco police cordon off a home in the 400 block of Arkansas Street in the Potrero Hill neighborhood as they investigate the fatal stabbing of a woman. San Francisco police cordon off a home in the 400 block of Arkansas Street in the Potrero Hill neighborhood as they investigate the fatal stabbing of a woman. Photo: Jenna Lyons Photo: Jenna Lyons Image 1 of / 12 Caption Close Former SF public defender stabbed to death at her SF home 1 / 12 Back to Gallery

A retired San Francisco public defender was stabbed to death Friday at her San Francisco home, and a man covered in blood inside the Potrero Hill residence was detained for questioning, authorities and neighbors said.

The victim, Marla Zamora, 65, was stabbed at her home on the 400 block of Arkansas Street, police said.

Zamora defended Edwin Ramos, a gang member convicted in 2012 of killing Tony Bologna and his sons, Michael and Matthew, as they drove home from a family gathering on a Sunday afternoon in 2008. The case drew national attention because Ramos had mistaken at least one of the Bologna sons for a Mission District gang rival when he fired a gun at them from another car.

On Friday, officers were called to Zamora’s house at 10:54 a.m. and detained a man for questioning in the killing, but the relationship between him and the victim was not yet clear, said Officer Grace Gatpandan, a police spokeswoman.

Capt. Raj Vaswani of the Bayview Police Station posted a message on Nextdoor, a social media site for neighorhoods, saying, “We have a person that is being investigated at this time. This occurred at a residence and this was not a random crime on the street.”

Neighbors said Zamora’s bloody body lay in the backyard of the house while the man was found inside the house, also covered in blood.

Zamora had been the principal trial attorney for the San Francisco’s public defender’s office and had been a public defender for three decades before leaving the office. Her LinkedIn page says she was in private practice and trying to expand to juvenile defense.

Public Defender Jeff Adachi had tears in his eyes as he expressed shock at the news of Zamora’s death.

“Marla was really a guardian angel,” Adachi said. “She tried some of the toughest cases a public defender could try, including the Edwin Ramos case. This was a case where everybody in the city was against her and her client, but she fought that case with everything she had. She was just a tremendously caring, compassionate person.

“She is going to be missed, so much, by everyone who knew her.”

Prosecutor Alex Bastian said Zamora cared for her clients, especially those in juvenile hall, and brought them food so they would have a taste of home and comfort, he said.

“She had a big heart, and she always saw the best in people,” he said. “She was a sweetheart. We express our deepest and most heartfelt condolences to the family.”

Zamora’s neighbor, Mario Castillo, 76, called her “a very nice lady.”

By evening, friends and former colleagues had placed bouquets and notes on the sidewalk around her house.

“Marla, you are such a bad ass. We will never forget you,” read one note. Another read: “Marla, you were a bright spirit! We love you so much!”

Longtime neighbor Richard Shapiro, 66, called the slaying “mind-blowing.” “I really couldn’t believe it. I don’t remember a single incident of violent crime on the block ever.”

Neighbors said Zamora is survived by a daughter who lives in Los Angeles.

A motive for the slaying remained under investigation.

Jenna Lyons and Vivian Ho are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Email: jlyons@sfchronicle.com and vho@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @JennaJourno @VivianHo