Police Blotter – July 31, 2015

SFPD Richmond District Police Station
Weekly Update 07-31-2015
From Captain Simon Silverman

Join Us For National Night Out Tuesday August 4, 2015 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM

Drop by Richmond Station at 461 6th Ave. You can take a tour of the station, check out our police cars and motorcycles, meet the officers, meet a police horse, and even meet McGruff the Crime Dog! We will also have food plus crime prevention and safety information.

Here are some of the incidents that occurred in the Richmond Police District this week:

ARREST: IDENTITY THEFT
07-25-2015 11:42 PM
Anza & 7th Ave
Officers on patrol found the suspect asleep at the wheel of a U-Haul truck in the middle of the road. She had no ID on her and gave a series of fake names and dates of birth to the officers. A search of the truck revealed that it was full of stolen IDs, credit cards and mail plus other important documents belonging to dozens of victims. The suspect was already on probation for similar violations.

BURGLARY
07-27-2015 7:20 AM to 3:30 PM
Broderick & Pine
The resident returned home to find that the door to her apartment was ajar. Realizing that someone could still be inside, she went to a safe place and called 911. Officers arrived and searched the apartment. Although the suspect was now gone, she had in fact been burglarized. The suspects most likely got in after they found a spare key which had been left in the victim’s mailbox in the building’s lobby.
Captain’s Note: This case offers examples of what to do and what not to do. Although the key was in a locked mailbox, the mailbox was not particularly secure. In fact, identity thieves often break into mailboxes (as in the case of the U-Haul full of stolen mail above). On the other hand, the victim displayed excellent judgment by calling 911 once she realized that the suspect might still be inside her apartment. I would much rather that police officers find the suspect than the resident.

ARREST: STOLEN CAR / METHAMPHETAMINE POSSESSION
07-28-2015 2:01 AM
Broderick & Turk
Officers were on patrol when they saw a suspicious car and ran a check of the license plate. DMV records listed the car as stolen so the officers stopped the driver. He gave the officers a fake name and a bogus story about how he had bought the car. The officers figured out who he really was, confirmed that the car was stolen, and arrested the suspect. When the officers searched him and found a small Ziploc baggie containing a white crystalline substance he switched to being honest and told them, “It’s meth.” It was.
Captain’s Note: It seems the suspect ultimately heeded 19th century romantic poet Sir Walter Scott who wrote, “Oh what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive.” Sir Walter also served as a sheriff which may be where he gained his insight into the perils of prevarication.

ROBBERY
07-28-2015 1:10 PM
Middle Drive West & Transverse (inside Golden Gate Park)
The victim was taking pictures with his digital camera when the suspects approached him. Suspect #2 punched him in the face and both suspects began struggling to take the victim’s camera from him. Once the suspects got the camera, they drove off in their car.
Suspect #1: Black male, 25-30 years old, 5’10”, wearing a black hooded sweatshirt and black pants. His hair was in locks with bleached tips.
Suspect #2: Black male, 25-30 years old, 5’10”, wearing a black hooded sweatshirt and black pants. He had short hair.
Car: Blue Honda Accord 4 door or Silver Mazda
Captain’s Note: There are two differing descriptions of the suspects’ car. This is because the victim and a witness each provided a separate description. When people experience a traumatic event it is not uncommon for them to recall it differently.

BRANDISHING A HANDGUN
07-28-2015 8:30 PM
JFK & Bernice Rodgers Way (inside Golden Gate Park)
The suspect approached the victim, pointed a handgun at him and asked, “What the f**k is up?!” The victim ran away and called 911. Officers searched the area extensively but did not locate the suspect.
Suspect: Latino male, 30-35 years old, 5’9”, medium build, wearing a black beanie, black hooded sweatshirt, and black pants.

THEFT
07-28-2015 8:45 PM
Geary & Masonic
A group of about a dozen suspects stormed into a beauty store, stuffed merchandise (perfume, cologne and beauty products) into bags and then ran off. Because it happened so fast, we have very little suspect description other than a group of males and females in their 20s. (Updated description: The suspects now have glowing complexions and they smell fabulous).

ARREST: BURGLARY FROM A VEHICLE / POSSESSION OF STOLEN PROPERTY / POSSESSION OF A BURGLARY TOOL
07-29-2015 9:46 PM
Geary & 2nd Ave
Alert citizens were driving by when they saw the suspect using a screwdriver to break the window of a parked car. They called 911 and officers caught the suspect leaving the scene with a bag full of stolen property and the screwdriver in his pocket.
Captain’s Note: Possession of a screwdriver for legitimate use is certainly not a crime. What makes the screwdriver a “burglary tool” in the eyes of the penal code is its use as an instrument to break into the locked car.

ARREST: WARRANT / TRAFFIC VIOLATION
07-29-2015 11:39 PM
Clement & 5th Ave
Officers on patrol saw the suspect run a red light. They pulled him over and ran a record check which showed that he had a suspended license plus a warrant for his arrest for reckless driving.

ARREST: CIVIL SIDEWALKS VIOLATION / POSSESSION OF STOLEN CREDIT CARDS / POSSESSION OF DRUG PARAPHERNALIA / WARRANTS
07-30-2015 8:59 AM
California & Spruce
Officers found the suspect sprawled out on the sidewalk in violation of the civil sidewalks ordinance. He had previously been warned and cited for the same violation. A check revealed several warrants for his arrest. When searching the suspect during booking, officers found 3 stolen credit cards and a crack pipe.

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