Police Blotter – April 2, 2015

SFPD Richmond District Police Station
Weekly Update 04-02-2015
From Captain Simon Silverman

April is distracted driving awareness month, so if you are reading this on a mobile phone while driving…LOOK OUT! The officers of Richmond Station regularly cite people for texting and using the phone without a hands free device while driving. We suspect that this violation is a factor in many of our collisions. It’s hard to know for sure since people rarely admit to us that they were inattentive. Smart phones are not the only source of inattention. We also see people applying make-up, shaving, eating and even reading the paper in their cars. Please be careful. A moment of inattention could lead to a lifetime of anguish.

TRAFFIC COLLISION WITH INJURY
Bush & Broderick
03-27-2015 8:28 AM
A car was driving east on Bush when it made a sudden, unsafe lane change and struck a motorcycle traveling in the next lane. The motorcyclist sustained moderate injuries and the car driver was cited at the scene.

ATTEMPTED BURGLARY
La Playa & Balboa
03-27-2015 9:55 AM
A resident of a multi-unit apartment complex heard the sound of someone kicking the door of a neighboring apartment and looked into the hallway to see a suspect flee to the roof of the building. This roof allows access to adjacent buildings. The story continues below…

BURGLARY
La Playa & Balboa
03-27-2015 10:51 AM
A resident of a multi-unit apartment complex came home to discover a suspect in her apartment filling one of her travel bags with her property. She ran out of the house and called 911. The suspect dropped the stolen loot and fled down the fire escape. The story continues below…

ATTEMPTED BURGLARY
La Playa & Balboa
03-27-2015 10:55 AM
A resident of a multi-unit apartment complex heard glass shatter and looked out to see that a window next to the roof access door was broken. The suspect had already fled. The story continues below…
Officers conducted an exhaustive search of the area using police dogs but did not find the suspect.
Suspect: White male, 20-25 years old, 5’7” 135lbs, wearing a black hooded sweatshirt, dark jeans, athletic shoes and a bandana covering the lower half of his face.

ARREST: VANDALISM
Clement & 9th Ave
03-27-2105 12:30 PM
The suspect intentionally broke a large storefront window and fled on foot. An off duty federal agent passing by detained him until SFPD officers arrived.

ARREST: ARMED ROBBERY / ASSAULT WITH A DEADLY WEAPON
MLK & Tea Garden Dr in Golden Gate Park
03-27-2015 2:30 PM
Three college students were walking in the park when three suspects attacked them and grabbed property from them. One suspect pistol whipped one of the victims with a hand gun. Through excellent investigative work, officers arrested the suspects in the Bayview district within a few hours.

ARREST: VIOLATION OF A COURT STAY AWAY ORDER / MISDEMEANOR WARRANTS
Botanical Garden in Golden Gate Park
03-27-2015 3:37 PM
Rec & Park employees knew that the suspect had a court order requiring him to stay away from the area. They called SFPD officers who arrested him for violating the order and for several misdemeanor warrants. The stay away order originated from a case in which he vandalized the garden. This same suspect was arrested for violating this same order at the Botanical Garden on March 19 and March 7.
Captain’s Note: I guess he’s a perennial suspect.

ARREST: VANDALISM VIA SPRAY PAINT
Murphy Windmill in Golden Gate Park
03-27-2015 5:53 PM
Officers responded to a report of two people spray painting Murphy Windmill in Golden Gate Park and arrested the two adult suspects for causing about $200 in damage.
Captain’s Note: Graffitists typically have a “tag” or name that they spray on everything. In this case, one suspect used the tag “Sewer.” Sewer was wearing a sweatshirt with the word “FAME” printed boldly on the front. He may wish to consult the dictionary to be certain that he understands the difference between “fame” and “infamy.”

MENTAL HEALTH CALL
Balboa & 8th Ave
03-27-2015 8:24 PM
Officers responded to a report of a man running down the middle of the street and screaming. He initially claimed to have been pepper sprayed and then said that he had been sprayed by a skunk. There was no evidence of him having been sprayed by either but his safety was of concern and he was transported to the hospital.
Captain’s Note: Section 5150 of the Welfare & Institutions code allows a police officer to detain a person and take them for evaluation and treatment at a mental health facility if the officer believes that the person has a mental health disorder that makes him a danger to himself or a danger to others or if a mental health disorder makes the person gravely disabled. This is not an arrest.

TRAFFIC COLLISION WITH INJURY
Stanyan & Anza
03-28-2015 4:41 PM
A Jeep was driving south on Stanyan. The driver did not notice that she had run a red light. A Hyundai that was west on Anza broadsided the Jeep causing it to overturn. People in both cars sustained only minor injuries.
Captain’s Note: See my comments above about people rarely admitting that they were doing something that caused them to be inattentive.

MENTAL HEALTH CALL
Geary & Arguello
03-28-2015 5:48
The family of a disturbed man called 911 for police assistance because he was experiencing delusions. Officers talked with the man as he sat calmly on a bench in the hallway of the home. Without warning, he lunged at one of the officers and grabbed at the officer’s holstered gun. Officers were able to restrain the man and he did not get the gun out of the officer’s holster. The man was transported to the hospital due to his psychiatric condition. The officer was injured during the struggle and remains off duty as a result.
Captain’s Note: This case illustrates how quickly situations can become dangerous, even life threatening for police officers. Fortunately, we carry holsters with a number of features that make it very difficult for an assailant to get an officer’s gun and we train for this very scenario.

BURGLARY OF A GARAGE
Jackson & Locust
03-28-2015 9:30 PM to 03-29-2015 8:20 AM
The resident went out to get his morning paper and saw that the window to his garage was broken, the garage door was open and his bicycle was missing.
Captain’s Note: Thefts of bicycles from garages are common enough that I recommend locking your bike even when it is in your garage. The best bike locks are the U shaped locks. Almost any chain or cable can be cut easily. Our friends at Safebikes.org have a great web page on the best way to lock up your bike: http://www.safebikes.org/learn-how-to-lock-your-bike.html

ARREST: VANDALISM
Geary & Cook
03-29-2015 12:50 AM
Officers caught a 21 year old male applying graffiti to a US Postal Service mail box using silver paint. He was arrested post haste.

ARREST: FALSE FIRE ALARM
Divisadero & Sutter
03-29-2015 3:13 AM
Five street corner fire alarm boxes were pulled in the same area in a short period of time. As firefighters arrived, they saw the suspect running away from one of the boxes and detained him.
When asked why he did it he said that he was very drunk and thought it would be funny.
Captain’s Note: Far from amusing, this ties up the fire department when they might be needed to respond to a real emergency.

MENTAL HEALTH CALL
Near Fulton & 6th Ave (inside Golden Gate Park)
03-29-2015 3:16 PM
Citizens called the SFPD to report a man who was threatening people in the area of the skate park. When officers detained the man, it was evident that he was having a psychiatric crisis. He was transported to the hospital.

GRAND THEFT
California & 8th Ave
03-30-2015 2:28 PM
Two suspects went into a café, grabbed two laptops from customers who were sitting at tables and ran off.
Suspect 1: Latino male, 20-25 years old, 5’6” 130 lbs, wearing a black hooded sweatshirt and light colored jeans
Suspect 2: Latino male, 20-25 years old, 5’8” 130 lbs, wearing a black hooded sweatshirt and dark colored jeans

MENTAL HEALTH CALL
Presidio Terrace & Arguello
03-30-2015 5:05 PM
Officers responded to a man who claimed to have swallowed a number of objects including a razor blade. He complained of abdominal pain and was transported to the hospital.

THEFT FROM A VEHICLE
Balboa & 16th Ave
03-30-2015 5:40 PM
The victim parked in front of her house, locked her car and left her purse inside. She came out five minutes later to find the two suspects reaching through her now broken window and stealing her purse. The suspects ran off with the victim’s brother in pursuit. They dropped the purse and he lost sight of them.
Suspect 1: White male, 15-17 years old, 5’3” 120 lbs, wearing a black hooded sweatshirt and blue jeans
Suspect 2: Latino male, 15-17 years old, 5’3” 120 lbs, wearing a black hooded sweatshirt and blue jeans
Captain’s Note: This case shows how quick and easy it is for someone to break into a car and why one should never leave property of value in the car – even for a short period.

ARREST: FELONY WARRANTS
El Camino Del Mar & 25th Ave
03-31-201512:25 AM
Officers on patrol saw a car run a stop sign. They detained the driver who had outstanding felony warrants for theft and assault.

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
Anza & 38th Ave
04-01-2015 2:53 PM
The suspect (boyfriend) came to the home of the victim (girlfriend) and punched her several times. After bystanders intervened, he fled and sent her a series of threatening text messages.

ARREST: DUI
Park Presidio & Crossover
04-01-2015 11:20PM
Officers stopped a driver for speeding (20MPH over the limit) and found that he was under the influence of alcohol. He was already on probation for a DUI conviction.
Captain’s Note: I imagine that it’s difficult to pronounce the word “recidivist” when one is drunk.

NEXT COMMUNITY MEETING:
Tuesday 04-21-2015 @ 7:00 PM
Richmond Station Community Room
461 6th Ave.

CONTACT US:
Call 911 for emergencies
Call 415-553-0123 for non-emergency police service
Richmond Station
461 6th Ave.
San Francisco, CA 94118
415-666-8000
E-mail: SFPDRichmondStation@sfgov.org
Follow us on Twitter: @SFPDRichmond