The crimes below are a small snapshot of what the officers of Northern Station are doing. For a more comprehensive list, visit www.sf-police.org; under Compstat, there is a link to CrimeMAPS.
A LUNCH BREAK
Thursday, July 18, 12:48 a.m.
Laguna at McAllister Streets
Theft on an empty stomach helped law enforcement nab a smartphone thief. When police responded to a report of a crime, the victim told them someone had snuck into the store behind some other customers, stolen her iPhone from the front counter area, and run out the door. The victim called 911, described the male perpetrator, and gave his direction of travel. Officers tracked the subject to a nearby location where he had stopped to have lunch. The officers detained the male and recovered the stolen phone. The victim identified the subject, who was booked at Northern Station.
GIMME A BREAK
Sunday, July 21, 8:40 p.m.
Van Ness Avenue at Ellis Street
Yet another iPhone theft victim contacted police to report that her phone had been stolen right out of her hand. The male subject then sped away on a bike. The victim described the subject’s clothing and direction of travel. When the victim and the police used a GPS tracking system on the phone, the officers were able to quickly detain the subject, who was booked at Northern Station.
MAGICAL TOOLS
Sunday, July 28, 1:50 a.m.
1500 Block of Pacific Avenue
A caller notified police that a burglary was in progress at a building that was under construction; no one was supposed to be inside the unfinished building at that hour. After noticing a flashlight illuminating the interior, he continued to watch the building and eventually saw the subject exit through a broken side window carrying a large garbage bag.
The caller watched the subject walk away from the building, and gave a description of the subject to officers. The police were able to detain the subject, who was identified by the caller, and police discovered several power tools and construction materials in the subject’s possession. He was read his Miranda rights, and he said he wanted to answer the officer’s question. He told the officer that he had just woken up and the tools were at his feet; he didn’t know where they came from.
He was transported to Northern Station for booking.
STREET TOUGHS
Monday, July 29, 6:10 p.m.
Sutter at Polk Streets
A man sustained injuries to his face and head and complained of back pain as the result of an assault. Officers responding to a report of a fight found the man who said he had parked his van in the area only to have one of the young adults nearby kick the van for no apparent reason. When the victim asked him why he kicked the vehicle, the subject told him to get back into the van and go away. The victim said he had work to do in the area, and when he tried to leave, the subject followed him and spat on him. When the victim turned around, he was punched in the face. The two fought and wrestled on the ground, and the victim was kicked in the back by another unknown subject. The subjects then fled the area.
Officers were able to locate the subject who started the fight; he was identified by the victim, and the subject was booked at Northern Station.
VIDEO STAR
Tuesday, July 30, 6:41 p.m.
Webster at McAllister Streets
By viewing video footage of an auto burglary, Northern Station investigators were able to identify the subject, and they knew his usual hangouts. When uniformed officers on patrol saw the subject, they stopped their patrol car, got out, and attempted to talk to the subject, who immediately ran from them. The officers were able to capture him after a short pursuit on foot, and he was taken into custody. They found on the subject commonly used items for breaking auto glass. He was booked at Northern Station.
PHONE HOME
Thursday, August 1, 5:45 p.m.
Van Ness Avenue at Turk Street
Officers responding to a request for help found a man chasing another, yelling, “He stole my phone” and trying to get other people to help him apprehend the subject. The victim told officers that he was using his phone on the bus when the subject grabbed the phone and exited the bus at the Van Ness Avenue and Turk Street stop. Tenderloin Station detained the subject, who was identified by the victim. The phone was not located, but officers were able to pull the video from the bus. The subject was booked at Northern Station.
leave no phone behind
Sunday, September 1, 1:10 a.m.
200 block of Lombard Street
When officers responded to a call for service, they found a male holding another male subject to the ground. Numerous witnesses said that the subject had stolen a cell phone from a female victim.
The male who had held down the subject told police he had been walking down the street when the subject ran past him and he heard a female yelling that she had been robbed. He chased the subject, caught him, and returned the phone.
The victim told police she had been on the sidewalk in front of a bar, talking on her phone, when the subject ran past her, grabbing the phone from her hands as he ran away.
The victim identified the thief, and the subject was booked at Northern Station on charges of robbery with force and possession of stolen property.
