SFPD Richmond District Police Station
Weekly Update 10-20-2016
HELPFUL HALLOWEEN TIPS
With Halloween quickly approaching, it’s a good idea to start thinking about ways to ensure the night goes off without a hitch. Incidents frequently reported on Halloween night include reports of missing children, and parents finding suspicious treats in your child’s candy. Here are some helpful safety tips to consider when planning your Halloween:
– Be extra-careful when crossing the street. Be sure to cross the streets at the intersections, and pay close attention to traffic signs and signals.
– Young children should not be left to Trick-or-Treat without adult supervision.
– Use reflective stickers and tape on Halloween costumes when out at night. This will help increase visibility when crossing the street. Flashlights and glow sticks are also great ways to increase visibility.
– Check that a child’s Halloween costume is flame retardant. Many Halloween decorations and displays utilize real candles, which could be dangerous around a child’s costume.
– Advise children to never go into a stranger’s house or car. The mantras “Don’t talk to strangers” and “Don’t take candy from strangers” are forgotten during Halloween. Be sure that children know appropriate boundaries.
– Inspect children’s Trick-or-Treat candy before you let them eat it. Inevitably a parent in the Richmond District will find something suspicious in their child’s candy.
– Children’s Halloween costume props, such as swords, should be soft and flexible to avoid injuries.
– Non-toxic face paint may be a better option than a full face mask. Masks often impair vision, making children less aware of their surroundings. This may lead to walking into the roadway, or away from their group or parents.
– Trick-or-Treat in well lit and familiar areas. This is especially important to older children who do not have an adult with them.
– For older children without adult supervision, set a curfew for the child to return home. Provide a cell phone so they can be contacted at any time, and also tracked with GPS if possible.
There are many things to consider when planning for a successful Halloween. Hopefully some of these tips will be helpful in ensuring that both children and parents are able to enjoy themselves during this exciting time.
HERE ARE SOME OF THE INCIDENTS THAT OCCURRED IN THE RICHMOND DISTRICT THIS WEEK:
ROBBERY WITH FORCE
26TH AVENUE & GEARY BOULEVARD
10/12/2016 09:23 PM
After exiting a Richmond District bar and while waiting for a cab to go home, the victim was approached by an unknown suspect. Without provocation, the suspect punched the victim on the left side of his face, and the victim fell to the ground. The suspect then went through the victim’s pockets, and stole numerous items including his wallet and cell phone. The suspect then fled the area on foot, walking northbound on 26th Avenue.
A 9-1-1 call was made, and Richmond Officers responded to the scene. Officers searched the area, but were unable to locate the suspect. Only a brief description of the suspect was provided to dispatch.
The suspect is described as a black male between 20 and 25 years of age. He is described as having a skinny build, and short hair. The investigation is ongoing.
ARREST: THEFT FROM A LOCKED VEHICLE; POSSESSION OF STOLEN PROPERTY; POSSESSION OF BURGLARY TOOLS
PRESIDIO AVENUE & CALIFORNIA STREET
10/12/2016 10:11 PM
A Richmond District Officer working an assignment out of the District intervened when he heard loud yelling at a nearby bus stop. The Officer found two men engaged in a physical struggle. When the Officer identified himself, one of the men told him that the other person was in possession of his stolen cell phone.
The victim informed responding Richmond Officers that his vehicle had been broken into approximately an hour earlier, and that numerous items had been stolen from inside. The items included his cell phone and his wallet. The victim informed Officers that he was able to track his stolen cell phone, and he responded to that location. When the victim arrived, he saw the suspect holding his wallet. The victim then held onto the suspect, and police arrived within approximately 10 seconds!
Officers detained the suspect and searched him. The victim was holding a ceramic spark plug on a string, which is a common burglary tool used for breaking into vehicles. He was also in possession of numerous additional items belonging to the victim.
The suspect was booked at County Jail for auto burglary, possession of stolen property, and possession of burglary tools.
ARREST: POSSESSION OF AN AIR GUN; POSSESSION OF NARCOTICS PARAPHERNAILA; WARRANT ARREST JACKSON STREET & BAKER STREET
10/13/2016 07:55 AM
When a concerned citizen called 9-1-1 regarding a person with a gun, Richmond Officers were quick to respond to the scene. The caller said that a man, holding a handgun, was going through a dumpster at this location.
Officers arrived on scene, and quickly located the suspect. The suspect was holding a shirt in his hand, which he dropped on the ground as Officers detained him. Inside the shirt, Officers located a replica air powered handgun. The suspect was also in possession of narcotics paraphernalia, and had an active warrant for his arrest.
This suspect’s behavior caused great distress to local residents, who were very concerned due to a high volume of children in the surrounding area. He was booked at County Jail on his warrant.
ARREST: AGGRAVATED ASSAULT WITH OTHER WEAPON; VANDALISM TO A VEHICLE; RESISTING PEACE OFFICER DUTIES; CHILD, INFLICT MENTAL SUFFERING
5TH AVENUE & CLEMENT STREET
10/13/2016 04:50 PM
Richmond District residents were quick to call 9-1-1 when an individual began swinging a table leg resembling a ‘nail bat’ at people in the street. This suspect chased and threatened paramedics, who happened to be nearby, with the weapon. He also hit cars which were parked in the street, causing damage.
When Richmond Officers arrived, the suspect began to violently pursue them with the dangerous weapon. He ignored their multiple instructions to drop the weapon, and continued to advance upon the Officers. The Officers were armed with a “less lethal” extended range impact weapon, which they deployed in order to gain the suspect’s compliance. This was effective, and the suspect was finally detained. He continued to struggle with the Officers even after he was detained. Thankfully nobody was injured during the incident.
Numerous witnesses remained on scene to give their accounts of the incident. One was a mother with her small child, who attempted to hide inside their vehicle while the suspect was on his rampage. The incident was quite traumatic for the child, who the Officers could see was very shaken by the event.
The suspect was first transported to hospital for medical treatment. He was then transported to County Jail, where he was booked on numerous charges.
ARREST: ROBBERY, CHAIN STORE; RESISTING PEACE OFFICER DUTIES; TERRORIST THREATS; WARRANT ARREST; PROBATION VIOLATION
GEARY BOULEVARD & 17TH AVENUE
01/14/2016 11:04 PM
Richmond District Officers responded to a call of a female suspect carrying a firearm at this location. Dispatch provided a description of the female suspect, and Officers quickly detained the suspect.
Officers were initially unable to locate a firearm on the suspect. She informed the Officers that there was a BB gun inside her backpack. The Officers confirmed that it was a BB gun, and interviewed the 9-1-1 caller.
The victim told the Officers that the suspect had been stealing from the store. When approached by store employees, the suspect reached into her backpack, threatened physical harm to the employees, and strongly implied that she had a gun. The suspect then left the store with the stolen merchandise.
The suspect gave Officers numerous false names in order to conceal her true identity. However, she was eventually fingerprinted and booked at County Jail under her true identity on numerous felony charges. These included robbery, a felony arrest warrant, and a probation violation for a prior theft conviction.
ARREST: ROBBERY, CHAIN STORE; ASSAULT WITH A CAUSTIC CHEMICAL; TERRORIST THREATS
850 LA PLAYA STREET
10/16/2016 06:17 PM
Safeway staff called 9-1-1 to report an assault using pepper spray. Officers responded to the scene and while en route, dispatch advised that one of the involved suspects had boarded a MUNI bus.
The first police unit on scene stopped a MUNI bus, and detained a female suspect matching the provided description. Additional Officers detained another male suspect nearby. The male suspect complained that he had been pepper sprayed during the incident.
Officers met with Safeway employees and security. They were informed that the two detained suspects had been stealing from the store. When approached and confronted about the theft, the female suspect pointed and sprayed pepper spray at the employees.
The Safeway security guard was also equipped with pepper spray, and sprayed the suspects back. He missed the female suspect, but was able to spray the male suspect in the eyes.
Officers found stolen merchandise on the female suspect. The video surveillance footage from the store corroborated the account of the Safeway employees.
Both suspects were booked at County Jail on a slew of felony charges.
CONTACT US:
Richmond Police Station
461 6th Avenue
San Francisco, CA 94118
(415) 666-8000