[Reprinted from The Richmond Police Station Newsletter of March 19, 2010. To be added to the station’s mailing list, email sfpd.richmond.station@sfgov.org.]
CAPTAIN RICHARD CORREIA’S MESSAGE
Officers are regularly dusting for latent fingerprints on all recovered stolen automobiles and vehicles that have been burglarized. Many times we are unable to obtain good quality prints, or prints that we lift cannot be matched against a print in our data bases. However, recently through a print we lifted on a car that had been burglarized we identified a suspect. This suspect was not a person we knew to be operating in this district. The suspect has a long rap sheet, is wanted in two jurisdictions and is on probation. I am confident that he will soon be in custody.
St. Patrick’s Day has come and gone with few very few reports of illegal behavior in the district. We had eight officers dedicated to the commercial areas where our clubs and entertainment venues are located, and the areas were patrolled by officers in highly visible police wagons. We visited bars and clubs early to let our presence be known and alerted some merchants to call us promptly if things even seemed to be getting out of hand.
The suspect in the brutal robbery and assault case from 133 9th Avenue remains in custody. Bail is set at $2,000,000 and the preliminary hearing is scheduled for today. I will keep you posted on this case.
During the past week, there were 21 traffic accidents, 7 involving injuries. There were 2 arrests for driving under the influence.
NOTEWORTHY ARRESTS
On 03/13/10 at 2:23pm a plainclothes officer was in the area of Lake & 11th Avenue. He saw a man walking his dog and look into the window of a vehicle parked on the street. As the man passed the car the officer saw him shake his head in manner that suggested disapproval. The officer saw two men sitting in the car and could see that one man was placing an item onto a piece of aluminum foil. The officer knew that drug users smoke different kinds of drugs by heating up an item placed on foil. The officer approached the car and both occupants immediately dropped the items in their hands onto the floor. The officer recovered the items and both suspects were charged with narcotic violations.
On 03/14/10 at 3:10am on the 4100 block of Geary an officer saw a large group of people coming out of a bar. Due to the time, the officer conducted a bar check to determine if alcohol was being consumed after hours and if patrons were still in the bar. There were 35-50 people in the bar drinking alcohol and singing karaoke, and the proprietor said that they were refusing to leave. One of the patrons, who appeared intoxicated and wanted the night’s festivities to continue, lit a cigarette. The officer told the man that he was not allowed to smoke and that it was time to leave the premises. A female in the group convinced the man to leave and they began to walk down the stairs. As the officer turned to deal with the people behind him he heard someone yelling from the bottom and turned to see the intoxicated male fighting with another officer who had just arrived to assist him. While going to assist the second officer, a patron punched the officer in the head. The large group began to yell and swear at the officers while they were trying to detain the suspect, one of whom jumped on the back of an officer. Numerous other patrol units came to their aid and the crowded eventually dispersed. The proprietor was charged with sales of alcohol after hours, and the two suspects were charged with battery on an officer and resisting arrest.
NOTEWORTHY INCIDENTS
On 03/11/10 at 12:15pm on the 1700 block of Divisadero a suspect entered a coffee shop and pointed a gun at the cashier. The suspect demanded money and the cashier complied. The suspect fled the scene. On 03/14, the suspect was taken into custody after several other robberies that occurred in other parts of the city.
On 03/12/10 a couple was visiting the DeYoung Museum for their wedding anniversary. At about 11:00am the victim noticed her wedding ring was missing from her finger. She remembered that she had taken it off in the restroom when she washed her hands and left it on the sink. The couple immediately went back to the restroom and the ring was gone. Museum security was contacted.
On 03/13/10 at 3:40am a victim was walking home from work and was in the area of 7th Avenue & Geary. A male walked up to him and hit him on the side of the head with a baseball bat. The victim said that the suspect said and took nothing from him and then fled. The victim sustained a head injury and was transported to a local hospital.
On 03/13/10 at 9:45pm the victim, a cab driver who was driving eastbound on Geary at 5th Avenue, noticed a dark blue Buick sedan driving recklessly behind him and attempt to pass on the right. Due to heavy traffic, the sedan was not able to pass and got behind the taxi and began to tailgate. When the cab driver stopped for a red light and Geary & 3rd Avenue the sedan pulled up in the lane next to him. The driver began to yell and threaten the cab driver and then both occupants of the sedan exited the car. One of the suspects went over to the cab’s open driver’s side window and pulled the cab driver out of through the car window. As they fell to the ground, the second suspect kicked the cab driver in the head. The two suspects then fled the scene. The cab driver returned to his vehicle and saw that his fare had fled the scene during the struggle. The suspects were described as males in their 20’s, one wearing a t-shirt and blue jeans.
On 03/16/10 between 9:30am and 5:30pm on the 1400 block of Lake Street a suspect pried open the front door of an apartment and took a flat screen TV, video game system and laptop
On 03/17/09 at 9:30pm a group of 4 friends were walking into Golden Gate Park from 9th Avenue and Lincoln Way. Suddenly a group of 6 males came out of the bushes and confronted the group and surrounded them. One of the suspects tried to take a swing at the first victim, but it was deflected and the suspect was pushed to the ground. The second victim was pushed to the ground and was punched and kicked by several of the suspects. The suspects fled in an unknown direction. The victims were medically treated at the scene.
On 03/18/10 at 1:30am officers were driving on the 400 block of Clement Street when they saw a male lying on the ground and a group standing around him. The victim told the officers that had been standing outside a bar when a suspect came up and punched him in his left eye. The punch knocked him to the ground and he struck his head on the pavement. The suspect fled south on 6th Avenue towards Geary. The victim told the officers that he didn’t know the suspect and had never seen him before. The victim was taken to a local hospital. Several people standing around told the officers that the victim and suspect had been arguing inside the bar prior to the victim being hit outside.