The crimes described below are only a small snapshot of what the police officers of Northern Station are doing. For a more comprehensive list, visit sf-police.org; under Compstat, select the link to Crimemaps.
MENTAL HEALTH DETENTION
Aug. 25, 7:20 a.m.
Chestnut St. at Richardson Ave.
A female flagged down uniformed officers to tell them she had just been hit in the arm with a tennis racket. She said she was walking with a cup of coffee in her right hand when an unknown female hit her in the hand, causing her to drop her coffee to the ground. The suspect was yelling and reportedly talking “crazy,” and walked away. The victim was unjured, and she described the suspect and her direction of travel.
Officers searched the area and spotted the suspect on the median. She was walking in and out of traffic, hitting cars with a tennis racket. Several cars had to slam on their brakes to avoid hitting her. She attempted to run away from the officers, but they were able to detain her. She appeared to have an altered mental status and would not answer any of their questions. She had no identification on her and refused to cooperate with the police officers. They determined she was a danger to others and detained her for a mental health evaluation. She was taken to California Pacific Medical Hospital and the staff there took custody of her.
BREAKING AWAY
Aug. 26, 1:17 a.m.
Divisadero at Turk Sts.
Officers responded to a report of two male suspects breaking into a white van and removing a bicycle. The police officers arrived and found a suspect matching the description walking away from the area, pushing a motorized bicycle possibly involved in the burglary. When the officers tried to stop to to talk with him, he ran away and jumped a fence.
The officers set up a perimeter and within minutes located and detained the suspect. He was positively identified by the 911 caller. The suspect was booked at County Jail; the other suspect was not found.
WHERE’S MY CAR?
Aug. 26, 4:18 p.m.
Marina Blvd. at Fillmore St.
Plainclothes officers conducted a surveillance operation for a suspect with a criminal history of stolen vehicles, property, and illegal narcotics. They spotted a male leaving an apartment building and getting into a black Honda. They ran a computer check on the Honda, which turned out to have been reported stolen. They surrounded the car and ordered the driver to get out; he complied, and he was taken into custody without further incident.
The driver told them he had just bought the car and did not know it was stolen. When they asked him who he bought it from, he gave them the name of the suspect the officers had been looking for. The vehicle and the suspect were transported to Northern Station for further investigation. The officers located the Honda’s owner and interviewed the suspect, who had outstanding arrest warrants and was subsequently taken to County Jail and booked.
GRAFFITI ART NO MORE
Aug. 30, 5 a.m.
Fell at Octavia Sts.
An officer spotted a male suspect who matched the description of someone involved in a prior graffiti hate crime incident. He approached the suspect and began talking to him, but after a few moments, the suspect jumped on his bicycle and started pedaling away. The officer followed and after several blocks was able to take him into custody.
A computer check revealed that the suspect had several outstanding warrants for his arrest. The officers also collected several items of evidence from the suspect that were used and worn in prior incidents. After an investigation and notifications were made, the suspect was booked at Northern Station on charges of malicious mischief, graffiti, and hate crime.
CITIZEN’S ARREST
Sept. 1, 3:48 p.m.
300 block of Fulton St.
Officers responded to a report of a stolen cell phone. The victim told them she’d gone into the employees-only restroom and accidentally left her cell phone on top of the soap dispenser; when she later went back for it, it was gone. The victim and officers viewed surveillance video showing people entering and leaving the bathroom, and they saw a female suspect enter the bathroom and later leave it with a pink phone in her hand. Speaking with the police, the employee denied taking the phone, but based on the video evidence and the victim’s statement, they determined the suspect stole the phone. The victim signed a citizen’s arrest form, and the suspect was cited for petty theft and released.
