Police Blotter – March 30, 2017

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CAPTAIN’S MESSAGE
I am happy to say that I have survived three weeks as your Captain! I am still learning about all the wonderful community groups, schools and restaurants that Richmond has to offer, and I hope to visit and engage with the community more and more during my time here as your Captain.

I am not sure about you, but as April nears, my first thought is- ‘What April Fool’s joke are my kids going to try on me’ and then the next is an overwhelming sense of urgency to complete my TAXES. I think we can all relate to the latter. Tax Season brings about a series of crime related reports that our officers take from the com-munity. One in particular; which actually happened to one of our community members this week, is the iTunes Tax Scam. The victims are told they owe money to the IRS and it needs to be paid promptly. An aggressive caller literally scares the person into pre-loading gift cards (most re-cently iTunes cards) and then tells the victim to read the code on the back of the card to them. The victims are told that if they do not do this they could be deported, arrested or their business or driver’s license could be suspended. Richmond District community, DO NOT fall for these scams! We have listed important tax-scam warning signs and resources for your knowledge. We encourage you to take a look.

Per the official IRS website, the IRS will never:
– Request immediate payment over the telephone using prepaid debit cards, iTunes gift cards, wire transfers, etc. You will receive a bill in the mail from the IRS if you owe any additional money on your taxes.
– Threaten to have you arrested immediately by law-enforcement if payment is not received.
– Insist that you pay taxes without affording you the opportunity to ask questions about the owed taxes, and also appeal the amount owed.
– Ask anybody to provide their credit card, debit card, or any gift card number over the telephone.

If you receive a suspicious call and you want to verify the authenticity of the caller, we recom-mend that you request a call-back, hang up, and contact the IRS Tax Help Line at 1-800-829-1040. In addition, the IRS does not initiate taxpayer communications through email. Unsolicited email claiming to be from the IRS should be reported to the IRS at phishing@irs.gov.

On that note, if you see something, say something!
Happy Spring, your Captain ~

Alexa O’Brien

NEXT COMMUNITY MEETING
WHO: EVERYONE IS INVITED TO ATTEND.
WHAT: A MEETING WITH CAPTAIN O’BRIEN.
WHEN: TUESDAY, APRIL 18TH, 2017 AT 6:00 PM.
WHERE: SF PUBLIC LIBRARY, RICHMOND BRANCH, LOCATED AT 351 9TH AVENUE.
WHY: TO MEET OUR NEW CAPTAIN, AND DISCUSS TOPICS CONCERNING CRIME IN THE RICHMOND DISTRICT.

INCIDENTS IN THE RICHMOND DISTRICT THIS WEEK
‘HOT PROWL’ BURGLARY SUSPECT ARRESTED AFTER BEING FOUND HIDING UNDER VEHICLE
Baker Street & Washington Street
03/25/2017 5:20 AM
A Richmond District resident was alarmed when she awoke to the sound of somebody inside her bedroom. The suspect, realizing that her burglary scheme had been foiled, attempted to flee the scene. The victim followed the suspect to ascertain what property had been taken. The suspect eventually relinquished the keys they had stolen from the apartment, and continued to attempt to flee the scene. The suspect returned to her home and called 911.

Richmond District officers responded to the scene. The victim gave the suspect’s description and last known location to dispatch, and the officers conducted a thorough search. The officers quickly located the suspect, who hid underneath a nearby vehicle to avoid detection. A large amount of stolen property, taken from inside the victim’s apartment, was also located by the officers.

As a result of the officers’ meticulous investigation, this suspect was booked at San Francisco County Jail. She now faces numerous charges, including residential burglary.

ROBBERY AT SAFEWAY ON LA PLAYA FOLLOWING ALTERCATION WITH SECURITY
La Playa Street & Cabrillo Street
03/23/2017 12:40PM
The Safeway on La Playa is in the news again this week. This time store security engaged a suspected shoplifter in the parking lot, which resulted in a physical altercation. A 911 call was made, and Richmond District officers re-sponded to the scene.

Upon their arrival, the officers learned that the suspect had fled the scene. The security guards informed officers that the suspect had been attempting to steal items from inside the store. When they confronted him, the suspect threw a stolen fish at them. The security guards attempted to retrieve additional stolen items from the suspect, who was now holding a hypodermic needle in threatening manner. The security guards were eventually able to retrieve the stolen property after a struggle with the suspect. A security guard sustained an injury during the incident.

Officers searched the area for the suspect, and located a person matching the description inside the park. The detained person was identified as the suspect by the security guards. He was subsequently booked at County Jail for robbery.

LATE NIGHT ASSAULT AFTER DISPUTE OVER FOOD
Geary Boulevard & 2nd Avenue
03/24/2017 2:20AM
Richmond District officers and medics were dispatched to a possible ‘battery’ incident at a local late-night eatery. Upon their arrival, the officers found a victim who was receiving medical treatment.

The victim was able to provide a statement to the officers. He stated that a group of males ordered food. When the group got the food, the suspects claimed that they were given the wrong food and demanded a refund. The victim said they then attempted to steal the tip jar from on the counter. When the victim grabbed the tip jar to prevent the suspects from stealing it, he was punched in the face. The victim then followed the group as they left the business, and called 911 for police to respond. Realizing that they were being followed, a suspect from the group charged at the victim and continued to assault him.

Additional officers responded to the scene to search for the suspects. A group of males were located and detained nearby. It was determined that this was the group who had assaulted the victim.

The suspect was booked for felony battery at County Jail. Hopefully the victim makes a speedy recovery.

TWO SUSPECTS APPREHENDED IN ATTEMPTED BURGLARY
25th Avenue & California Street
03/25/2017 11:07PM
When an astute Richmond District resident observed two suspects attempting to break into buildings, he did not hesitate to call 911 and alert police to the situation. Officers from Richmond Station quickly responded to the scene and detained the suspects.

The officers spoke with the witness, who gave a thorough account of what he had ob-served. He reported witnessing the suspects attempt to gain access to several buildings in the area. He also identified the detained individuals as the suspects he had observed.

The investigating officers ran a criminal history check on the suspects, and discovered that they both on probation. Items commonly used to commit burglaries were also located on the suspects.

These two suspects were both booked at County Jail. They face charges of attempted burglary and violating the terms of their probation.

RICHMOND STATION’S OFFICERS OF THE WEEK: OFFICER JOSH BRYANT & OFFICER HILLARY HARPER
Officer Bryant and Officer Harper are assigned as School Resource Officers in the Richmond District. Officer Bryant is a Bay Area native who graduated from Sacramento State University with a degree in Criminal Justice.

He has been a police officer for 5 years, and is the first member of his family to take a career in law en-forcement. He wanted to be a cop ever since childhood. His hope is to be a positive influence with the youth. His hobbies include traveling and riding his bicycle.

Officer Harper is also from the Bay Area. Prior to becoming a police officer she attended DVC in the East Bay.
She has been a police officer for 3 years, and really enjoys working with children. She hopes to be a positive female role model for the children she encounters in the schools.

Her hobbies include hiking and yoga. She is also a competitive weight-lifter, and loves dogs. She aspires to eventually work as a K-9 officer.

Download the full 3/30/17 Newsletter (PDF)