[Reprinted from The Richmond Police Station Newsletter of February 4, 2011. To be added to the station’s mailing list, email sfpd.richmond.station@sfgov.org.]
CAPTAIN RICHARD CORRIEA’S MESSAGE
Shoplifting is one of our more common crimes but is usually only reported to police when a suspect is detained by a store employee or owner. Most of us never notice a shoplifter at work and are not cognizant of either the degree or affect of a stores’ inventory shrinkage due to theft. Our small businesses are especially vulnerable. In this connection we need a bit of help.
On Thursday, February 3, 2011 at 11:00 AM a suspect entered a store on Geary Boulevard and began to browse in the aisles. Unbeknownst to the store’s employees the person was picking up higher value merchandise and moving it to shelf locations out of view of the check-out counter. Luckily, the store owner noticed the suspect kneel down and start to place the merchandise in a bag that he had carried into the store with him. When challenged about his activity the thief fled from the store. Fortunately, the suspect left empty handed.
The suspect is described as a 5’-5” tall male with gray hair and a beard. He was wearing a black and white colored coat and is described as neatly dressed. He was carrying a shopping bag contacting cardboard boxes.
We can help our small businesses in Richmond ’s vibrant commercial areas both by shopping locally and staying vigilant for shoplifters. It is important that you get a good description of the shoplifter.
If you notice someone that is acting suspiciously please notify the store owner or call the police. Your help is necessary but I don’t want you to take any action alone, and certainly don’t block such a person from running away. If you provide a good description to the police dispatcher the responding officers will have a good chance of making an arrest.
During the past week in the District there were 31 traffic accidents 8 involving injuries. There were 6 citations issued for driving without a license or driving on a suspended license. There were 4 arrests for driving under the influence.
NOTEWORTHY ARRESTS
On 01/29/11 at 10:30am an officer was patrolling the area of Sutter & Divisadero when he noticed that a vehicle that had just passed him had a front license plate affixed to it that did not match the rear plate. When the officer ran the front plate, it came back to a stolen vehicle. The officer located the vehicle parked and unattended on the 2500 block of Sutter Street . The officer conducted a surveillance of the vehicle and a short time later 3 people entered the car. The officer detained all the subjects and when he told them they were being detained for the stolen vehicle, the driver claimed he had just bought the car from “some guy” for $500.00. The 2 passengers were released and the driver was charged with possession of stolen property and possession of burglar tools.
On 01/30/11 at 3:10pm a plainclothes officer was concentrating her patrol in Golden Gate Park in response to auto burglaries in the area. The office noticed a male suspect walking eastbound on JFK Drive near 30th Avenue. The officer observed the suspect walking along the curb line looking into the windows of parked vehicles. When pedestrians approached the area, the suspect would hide in the tree lines until the coast was clear. The officer continued to follow him to MLK Drive & Crossover Drive as he continued to look into cars. At one point another male in the park appeared to have alerted the suspect to the presence of the officer and the suspect began to quickly walk out of the park. The officer then detained the suspect and determined he was on parole for auto burglary. He had in his possession a cell phone that had been taken in an auto burglary on 01/28/11 on 17th Street. The 39 year old male was charged with possession of stolen property, possession of burglar tools and a parole violation.
On 01/31/11 at 3:45am officers were in the area of 8th Avenue and Fulton when they observed a suspectwalk across the middle of Fulton Street from the park side and duck down behind parked cars on the opposite side of the street. The officers detained the male who had an outstanding parole violation warrant. The suspect had been arrested numerous times in the past for auto burglary was also in possession of burglar tools. The 41 year old male was charged accordingly.
NOTEWORTHY INCIDENTS
On 01/27/11 at 2:15pm a female victim was walking on 16th Avenue approaching Balboa while texting on her phone. She noticed two suspects walking towards her from the opposite direction and so she put her cell phone in her pocket. As the suspects got closer, one asked for the time and, as the victim looked down at her watch, one of them grabbed her around the neck and pulled her to the ground. The suspects punched her and grabbed her purse from her arm and took her cell phone from her pocket. They fled south on 16th Avenue to eastbound Balboa. A resident in the neighborhood told the officers he saw the suspect run south on 15th Avenue and get into light blue 80’s model vehicle. The suspects were described as males 16-19 years of age with skinny builds in dark clothing.
On 01/27/11 at 5:07pm, the victim was sitting the steps of the church at Bush and Broderick Sts, talking on her cell phone. As the suspects walked by, one of them tried to grab the phone from her hand. The victim tightened her grip on the phone and a struggle ensued. The suspect was able get the phone away from the victim and the suspect tried to flee the victim grabbed the suspect around the legs to prevent him from doing so. The victim was dragged a short distance by the suspect and the second suspect kicked her in the head. The suspects then fled south on Broderick St . They were described as males in their late teens, early 20’s, one wearing a light blue baseball cap; the other was in a white t-shirt and blue jeans. The victim refused medical treatment.
Between 01/28/11 at 11:30am and 01/29/11 at 9:45am on the 3300 block of California Street a suspect pried open a lock box affixed to the exterior of an apartment building and took the key from inside. The suspect was able to make his way into the garage and took two bicycles.
On 01/30/11 at 11:00am an officer responded to a residence on the 400 block of 24th Avenue . The victim reported that the week prior his home had been burglarized and a report was made. One of the items taken was the key to his car. The victim reported that the suspects apparently came back and forced open the garage door and took his vehicle.
On 01/31/11 between 5:00pm and 7:30pm on the 600 block of Presidio Avenue a suspect entered a garage and took two bicycles. There were no signs of forced entry.
On 02/02/11 at 11:30am officers responded to the 300 block of Balboa Street on a report of a male that had pointed a rifle, possibly a BB gun out the window of a residence. Officers detained four males at the residence and determined that the weapon was in fact a BB gun, which the officers confiscated. One of the males said he had been shooting at coffee cans.
On 02/02/11 at 4:20pm in the area of Spruce and California Streets a victim was driving in her mother’s car as her own vehicle had been stolen on 01/25/11. The victim noticed that the car in front of her was her vehicle and so she followed into a parking lot of a medical office. The suspect quickly turned around to exit back onto the street. The victim parked her mom’s in the middle of the narrow parking lot to block the suspect from exiting. The victim got out of the vehicle and confronted the suspect saying “That’s my car!” The suspect began to scream and revved the engine. Fearing the suspect was going to run her over, the victim moved out of the way. The suspect then drove in between the victim’s vehicle and the cars parked diagonally along the other side damaging the vehicles in the process and fled out the exit. The suspect was described as a female, 24-25 years of age, wearing a black beret and black clothing.