Police Blotter – January 10, 2013 | Year kicks off with two bank robberies

[Reprinted from The Richmond Police Station Newsletter of January 10, 2013. To be added to the station’s mailing list, email sfpd.richmond.station@sfgov.org.]

CAPTAIN SHARON FERRIGNO’S MESSAGE
2013 is off to a quick start. Our Station Investigations Team has a new lead Lieutenant, Tom Feledy. Tom brings with him a tremendous amount of experience in investigations, Fraud and Emergency Management to name a few. On Wednesday, there was a gas leak caused by a construction accident in the neighborhood of Laurel and Pacific. The quick response of Richmond Officers, the Fire Department and Pacific Gas and Electric Company resulted in an immediate evacuation and a very speedy shut off to the gas line and the safe return of our effected residents. SFMTA assisted in shutting down the streets and I complement everyone, including our residents for a job well done!

We were contacted by security from Penske Motor Group who asked that we share information regarding an auto burglary that occurred on January 5, 2013 between 9:30am and 6:30pm. A suspect entered a vehicle that was parked in the alleyway off of Clement and 39th Ave and took a black bag that contained numerous personnel files of a local business that had sensitive personal information. If you have any information or can help in getting the files returned, please contact Chip at tips@penskemotorgroup.com.

For additional information on Crime Statistics, go to the SFPD Website at sf-police.org.

Our next Community meeting will be held on Tuesday, January 15, 2013 at 6pm. It will be in the Community Room, here at Richmond Station, 461 6th Ave. (NOTE TIME CHANGE)

NOTEWORTHY ARRESTS
On 01/01/13 at 10:40pm, officers were patrolling the area of Post and Baker when they made contact with a male on a bicycle. Officers determined that he had a $100,000 dollar warrant for his arrest for theft and located in his possession, bolt cutters, pipe cutter, sheet metal cutter and a screw driver. The 40 year old male was charged with possession of burglar tools and the warrant.

On 01/03/13 at 2:30pm, officers responded to the area of 39th and Cabrillo on a report of a female who had attempted to steal the victim’s mail from his mailbox. The victim was following the suspect and officers located and detained her. During the course of their investigation, they located numerous credit cards and checkbooks belonging to other victims along with a notebook containing passwords and account information. The 34 year old was charged with possession of stolen property and narcotic paraphernalia.

On 01/03/13 at 9:21pm, the victim walked out to his parked pick-up truck on the 300 block of 4th Ave and found the suspect sitting in the passenger seat of his truck. When he asked what the suspect what he was doing the suspect shook a set of keys and said “wrong car.” The victim called 911 and confronted the male who then from his backpack pulled out the face plate to the victim’s stereo, the stereo remote and portable speakers. The suspect then ran off with the victim giving chase. The officers located the victim and suspect on the 200 block of 3rd Ave and detained the suspect. The 50 year old male was charged with burglary and possession of stolen property.

On 01/07/13 at 10:25am, officers responded to a call of a fight on Geary between 14th and 15th Aves. Once officers arrived they determined that one of the parties was a male they had contact with 20 minutes prior for trespassing in a building on the block. He had told them at that time that he had been let in by a tenant to use the laundry facility and when he stepped outside momentarily he had locked himself out. He told the officers that he had left his backpack inside. He was unable to provide any information about the tenant who had let him in nor could the officers locate the caller reporting the trespass. The suspect was told not to go back into the building unless he had permission. After the officers left, he tried to get back into the building by follow a tenant who was entering. The tenant told him he could not enter and the two began to fight. Officers then discovered a folded envelope of mail that belonged to a tenant of the building in the suspect’s pocket. Officers then found his backpack which contained a crowbar, bolt cutters and other mail belonging to other tenants in the building. The suspect, who is 24, also had an outstanding warrant for his arrest for burglary from Marin County. He was charged with burglary and the outstanding warrant.

On 01/08/13 at 4pm, officers responded to a call of a shoplifter who was fighting with security from a store on the unit block of Masonic. Officers arrived and detained the male who was growling and grunting like an animal. The security guard told the officers that he had observed the suspect enter the store with his own bag and place items in the bag as he walked around the store. The suspect then placed the bag on the floor near a register and walked back into the bathroom. Several minutes later, he came back, picked up the bag and walked out of the store. Security detained the suspect and asked for him to show the receipt for the purchases. The suspect said he had thrown it away in the garbage inside the store and they both went back inside. The suspect pretended to look through a garbage can for the receipt and then suddenly bolted and ran out the front door. The security guard gave chase and when he caught up with the suspect, the suspect threw a punch at him and missed. The guard struggle with the suspect who tried to bite him in the arm and with the assistance of co-workers was able to detain the male until officers arrived on scene. The 44 year old male was charged with the theft, assault and possession of narcotics.

On 01/09/13 at 7:55pm, the victim was walking on California St at Pierce when she noticed a dark colored Honda pull up along side of her. The passenger exited the vehicle and pointed a small handgun at her and demanded her purse. The victim screamed, threw her purse to the ground and ran east on California St . The suspect picked up the purse, got back into the vehicle and fled south on Steiner St . The same suspects and vehicle were involved in two additional robberies in different parts of the city and were located and arrested at Turk and Hyde Sts at 8:50pm. The two males, one 19, the other 21, and an 18 year old female were charged with robbery, possession of stolen property and conspiracy.

NOTEWORTHY INCIDENTS
On 01/04/13 at 11:20am, two males entered a bank on the 6000 block of Geary. One of the males, who was armed with a handgun yelled at tellers and customers in the bank to “Get down!” The male then ordered one of the employees to hand over the money and gave the teller a bag to fill. The second suspect, who was acting as a look out yelled at the first suspect that it was time to go. Both fled the bank, possibly fleeing in a dark colored Toyota. The suspects were described as black males, one wearing a black baseball cap and a collared shirt, the other was wearing a black hooded sweatshirt. Police have asked anyone with information about the case to call the Police Department’s anonymous tip line at (415) 575-4444 or to send a tip by text message to TIP411 with “SFPD” in the message.

On 01/04/13, between 7:15pm and 9pm on the 300 block of Anza, a suspect entered an unlocked door and took two laptops.

On 01/05/13, between 3:30am and 4:00am on the 2300 block of Post St , a suspect entered a building possibly by climbing onto the roof. The suspect then entered and took a computer.

On 01/06/13 at 5:43am, a suspect entered a Laundromat on the 600 block of Balboa. The suspect pried open the office door and took cash. The suspect was described as a male with a yellow jacket and long wavy hair.

On 01/07/13 at 12:50hrs, a resident came home to find his front door open on the 500 block of 48th Ave. He saw
the suspect standing just inside the front door and originally thought it was someone his dad had hired to do work on the house. The suspect then walked passed the resident and began to run south on 48th towards Anza. The resident then realized that the front door had been forced open and he ran to a neighbor’s house for help. The suspect had taken jewelry and a game system. He was described as a white male, 40-50 years with no front teeth and he was carrying a silver crutch.

Between 01/07/13, 11:30pm and 01/08/13, 7:30am on the 100 block of 8th Ave , a suspect entered a garage and
took two bikes. There were no signs of forced entry.

On 01/08/13 between 7am and 9am, on the 3000 block of Washington , a suspect entered and unlocked vehicle and took cash and a garage remote. With the remote, the suspect entered the garage and took a computer from an office area.

On 01/07/13 at 5:40pm on the 2800 block of Turk St, the victim was home in a downstairs room when she heard footsteps going upstairs and thought it was her husband. She then went upstairs and towards the master bedroom and saw a figure in the room hunched over holding a coin box. She called out her husbands name and then realized it was not him. She then ran out of the house and asked a passerby to call 911. The suspect then exited the home carrying a messenger bag that belonged to the victim and riding the victims bicycle. He fled south on Temescal to west bound Golden Gate Ave. He was described as a black male, 20-25 years of age, wearing a black knit hat and was clean shaven. The suspect had taken cash from the coin box.

On 01/09/13 at 10:57am, the suspect entered a bank on the 800 block of Clement St . He handed the teller a note that said he had a gun and to give him money. The teller complied and he fled east on Clement St . He was described as a light skinned male, 38-40 years, wearing a black hooded sweatshirt and sunglasses. He was described as having a “big nose.”