[Reprinted from The Richmond Police Station Newsletter of August 23, 2013. To be added to the station’s mailing list, email sfpd.richmond.station@sfgov.org.]
CAPTAIN SHARON FERRIGNO’S MESSAGE
Richmond Station Officers are leaving no stone unturned as we work to arrest offenders responsible for a series of robberies in the area bordering Divisadero to Presidio and Sacramento to Geary Blvd. Officers and Investigators are working with bordering districts saturating the area to apprehend these criminals. Our team has been interviewing witnesses, reviewing surveillance video and comparing notes with our neighboring districts in search of these persons.
We continue to ask that you pay attention to your surroundings, walk with your head up and not be distracted by your mobile devices. Also we are able to track your phone if it is taken and has not been turned off, so please remember your password to your application.
Our next Community meeting will be held on Tuesday, September 17, 2013 at 6pm. It will be in the Community Room, here at Richmond Station, 461 6th Ave.
NOTEWORTHY ARRESTS
On 08/18/13 at 7:30pm, officers responded to MLK Drive and Chain of Lakes Drive on a report of a male being detained for vandalizing trees in the park. Golden Gate Park rangers had been informed by a passerby that this male was breaking off the branches of the trees. The rangers searched the area and located the suspect still breaking branches. This was the same suspect who was arrested in Golden Gate Park on 07/10/13 for the same thing. The 65 year old was charged with vandalism.
On 08/19/13 at 5:30pm, the victim was standing at Sutter and Divisadero waiting for her ride. She had placed her purse on the bench next to her along with another bag. She had her back to the bench and suddenly realized her purse was no longer there. She looked down the street and saw the suspect running with her purse in his hands. As she yelled for help several people came to her aid. One woman sitting in her car got out and ran after the suspect and grabbed him when another male arrived on scene, she thought it was another witness coming to help but it was a friend of the suspect. The woman backed off and at this point several security guards from the medical center came out and detained both males. The two suspects, a 17 year old and a 20 year old where charged with theft from a person. The 17 year old was also charged with threats as he told the security guard he was going to kill him.
On 08/20/13 at 4:36pm, officers were dispatched to the area of 19th Ave and Geary on a report of a stolen vehicle that was being tracked by GPS. Dispatched continued to update the officers as to the direction of the vehicle and that it was now south bound on Park Presidio Blvd and it eventually stopped on Irving St between 19th and 20th Aves. Officer located the vehicle and two occupants and detained them. The two males, one 27yrs, the other 35yrs were charged with stolen auto.
NOTEWORTHY INCIDENTS
On 08/17/13 between 12am and 6:30am on the 3700 block of Clay St a suspect entered a home while the residents were asleep. The suspect took an iPad and 2 bowls. The victims believe the back door was left unlocked.
On 08/17/13 between 6:30pm and 6:45pm on the 2500 block of Pine St, a suspect entered a garage and took a bike. The victim was outside at the time unloading his truck and had left the garage door open.
On 08/17/13 at 11:30pm, the two victims were walking on Bush near Divisadero. One of the victim’s was looking at her cell phone for directions when they were suddenly approached by the suspect. He pulled up his sweatshirt and showed them that he had a gun in his waistband and told the victim to give him her phone. The victim complied and the suspect fled south on Divisadero St. He was described as a black male, 20-25yrs, wearing a black hooded sweatshirt and blue jeans.
On 08/18/13 at 12:40am, the victim was walking on Scott St towards California and noticed the suspects on the opposite side of the street. The suspects then crossed over to the victim with one suspect in front and the other behind. One of the suspects pulled out a handgun and demanded the victim’s phone and the victim complied. The suspects fled east on California St. One suspect was described as a black male, wearing a dark jacket and black pants. The other suspect was a Hispanic male, 20-22yrs, wearing a black hooded sweatshirt and black pants.
On 08/18/13 at 2:37am, the victim was walking on the 3400 block of Sacramento St and was approached by the suspect. The suspect pointed a handgun at the victim and demanded his property. The victim handed over his backpack which contained his laptop, along with his phone and wallet. The suspect then fled to an older model tan vehicle which fled north on Walnut St. The suspect was a black male, 20-25yrs wearing a navy colored sweatshirt and had short dreadlocks.
On 08/18/13 at 4:35pm, on the 1700 block of Broderick, the four victims were taking pictures of each other when the two suspects approached. The first suspect was smiling and the victims were going to ask them to take a photo of them. One of the suspects suddenly grabbed one of the girls from behind and pointed a handgun at them. He said “this is no joke” and demanded all of their phones. The other suspect grabbed one of the phones from the victim’s hand while the other two victims handed their phones over. The suspects then fled east on Pine St. One suspect was described as a Hispanic male, 25yrs, wearing a black pea coat and a white baseball cap with a black brim. The other suspect was a black male, 26yrs, with a “buzz cut” hair style, wearing a dark coat and dark jeans.
Between 08/19/13, 8pm and 08/20/13, 6:45am on the 500 block of 16th Ave a suspect entered a garage of a multi-unit building and took a bike. There were no signs of forced entry.
On 08/21/13 at 8:20pm, the victim who had been walking in Golden Gate Park was returning to his vehicle which was parked on JFK Drive near Chain of Lakes Drive. As he got close he heard a loud crash and looked in the direction of his vehicle. He saw the suspect leaning into his vehicle through a now broken window. He yelled at the suspect who ran off without taking anything.
looks like the team of the “hispanic” male and the “black” male have been busy. I’m dismayed at how many armed robberies are starting to happen in this area in broad daylight. I would have considered this a pretty decent and safe neighborhood. Maybe all the people in the area around the hospital and medical buildings are inspiring thugs from the western addition to come and rob people?
@Adriana – you have to take into account the housing projects just mere blocks away to the West of Divis and to the South of Geary.
cops when you need them they are off eating donuts.. and when you don’t want to see them they are giving you damn tickets… 26th & geary you better stop for pedestrian otherwise the cops are just around the corner to ticket you…
quite funny how we assume it’s people from the projects robbing us..
…because the last time an affluent person from Sea Cliff/SOMA/Nob Hill committed a robbery, we ended up with a recession.
I’m a native San Franciscan & the Western Addition has never been safe. All you transplants moving in that area have no clue
penelope –
But shouldn’t you be on the lookout anyway for pedestrians (who do have the right of way) anyway? The cops did that a lot on 11th and Geary until they finally put in a streetlight.
karen –
But the odds are they do come from the Western Addition (and probably the projects). The fact is, there aren’t many black people who live in the Richmond (I would have to guess less than 2% of the total population). The closest district with a significant black population is the Western Addition. Not to mention that projects (in any area of the city) have a large gang problem.
Public housing developments in our police district (which extends east of the Richmond District almost to Divisadero) include “senior” housing at 491 31st Avenue, 345 Arguello and 1750 McAllister, and a family project at Westside Courts (2501 Sutter).
Asians, Caucasians and Hispanics combined comprise less than 40% at the family project. I choose to put senior in quotes because there is no data available on how many youth “stay at” a relative’s subsidized housing.
The more these robbers get away with it, the more brazzen they become. This is not good at all people. There needs to be more beat cops, the only time I see cops is when they stop to eat at a restaurant or when they do the Geary breathalizer checkpoints on Saturday nights.