Here’s a sampling of recent crimes in the districts covered by the Central and Northern SFPD stations.
SHOPPING SPREE
Dec. 27, 8:50 a..m.
Location not provided
Two employees at a Walgreens told officers that several suspects entered their store and began to grab items. The employees believed they were going to steal the items so they told the subjects to leave the store. The female subject pulled out a canister of pepper spray and backed away. A customer in the store attempted to stop the suspects from leaving with stolen property and was rewarded by being pepper sprayed in the eyes before the suspects fled.
Officers located the suspects, who began to walk quickly away. All three of the suspects were carrying shopping bags filled with items. The female subject stopped between two vehicles and left her shopping bags behind.
The officers detained one subject, but she refused to comply with their commands. She was holding a can of pepper spray and refused to drop it, so officers had to force it out of her hand and put her in handcuffs to prevent further resistance. The officers located the bags the suspect had left between the cars. The other two suspects were not apprehended.
I WAS NEVER HERE
Dec. 27, 9:13 p..m.
Location not provided
Officers responded to a call about an assault, and they arrived to find the unconscious victim on the ground and bleeding from his face. Medics had already arrived and were assessing the victim’s injuries. Witnesses told the officers that they saw a subject pushing around the victim and eventually shoved him into a car; the victim’s head hit the vehicle’s bumper.
The subject then kicked the victim in the face and walked away. The subject returned a minute later, rummaged through the victim’s pockets, and took what appeared to be a pack of cigarettes. The subject told the witnesses to call an ambulance and said that the subject was “never here.”
In the ambulance, the victim regained consciousness. He was able to give his name, but could not identify the city.
About 90 minutes later, officers on patrol saw an individual who matched the description of the subject who was pulling a blue recycling bin. They were able to detain the subject, who was taken to Northern Station for further investigation.
DAY OF THE TRASHMAN
Jan. 1, 12:42 p.m.
Location not provided
A male victim told police he twice told a subject who was rummaging through trashcans not to make a mess. After the second time, the subject responded by throwing a bottle at the victim’s head. Luckily, he missed, but the subject then chased the victim with a stick, which he used to beat the victim on the head.
When officers arrived, they found the victim sitting and holding his head in pain. The victim and a witness pointed officers in the direction of the subject, whom they located and detained. They also found the stick that had been used in the attack.
PALACE OF CRIME ARTS
Jan. 3, 1:52 p.m.
Palace of Fine Arts
One suspect was apprehended and two were able to flee the scene after plainclothes police interrupted a team of auto boosters around the Palace of Fine Arts.
The police witnessed three suspects — a driver and two passengers — in a Dodge Charger casing various vehicles. The Charger pulled up next to two vehicles. One of the suspects broke a window of the first vehicle and removed items from the backseat; seconds later, another suspect broke the window of the second vehicle and reach inside to take someone’s property. The police then moved in.
One suspect was able to get back to the Charger and escape with the driver. But officers apprehended the other suspect and were able to retrieve all of the stolen property and return it to the owners.
BRIEFLY NOTED
Dec. 20, 3 a.m., 500 block of Columbus Avenue: A victim found the front window to a business smashed; money was missing from the cash register.
Dec. 21, 4:02 a.m., 300 block of Union Street: Police officers found the front glass door to a business shattered.
Dec. 22, 8 p.m., Geary Street and Grant Avenue: A suspect grabbed a cell
phone out of the victim’s hand. The victim and bystanders gave chase, but the suspect pointed a firearm at the victim.
Dec. 23, 10:26 p.m., Unit block of Front Street: A victim was assaulted and suffered a laceration to his head. He was medically treated.
