Since our last roundup of crime and safety happenings in the Castro, we've had a spate of new crimes, including robberies, stabbings, and two deaths. Here's the latest in neighborhood crime news.
Midday Death
On July 28th, around 12:10pm, a homeless man was found unresponsive by a nearby neighbor. While paramedics arrived, the man was pronounced dead. The medical examiner's office has since identified the deceased as 38-year-old San Francisco resident James Welch. No cause of death has been announced at this time.
Church & Dorland Robbery
A 38-year-old female was robbed on August 6th at 9:45pm. The male suspect, 30, pushed her to the ground, used a knife to cut her laptop bag, and stole the laptop, the bag, and her wallet. No arrest was made, and the victim was not injured.
Second Midday Death
The Castro saw another death on August 7th, shortly after noon. Witnesses saw a man walking near Beaux Dance Club & Bar collapse onto the sidewalk. Paramedics worked for nearly 30 minutes to revive him, to no avail. The BAR later reported that the deceased was 75-year-old Thomas Smallwood, a longtime SF resident who had been on his way to a bar with his boyfriend. No cause of death has been released.
Home Robbery Via Cat Door
A man, 23, awoke just after midnight on August 10th to find that his cat door had been unscrewed by an unknown suspect. The suspect had entered the property, stolen money, and fled the scene. No injuries or arrests were reported.
Parking Lot Stabbing
On August 11th at 5:15am, a 41-year-old man was stabbed in a parking lot along Market between Dolores and Church streets. The man, who was with a group of friends, was approached by another male who stabbed the victim in the back and fled on foot. No arrest was made. The victim was admitted to San Francisco General Hospital with non-life threatening injuries.
Shoplifting with Knife
On the same Market Street block as the parking lot stabbing, an armed robbery occurred at a grocery store (presumably Safeway, although they did not answer our calls) on August 12th at 4am. A male, 24, witnessed two men, 40-50, stealing juice from the store. The younger man confronted the shoplifters outside of the store, when one of the suspects pulled a knife on him. Both victims then fled in a blue 1997-1998 Toyota Camry. No arrests were made, and the victim was not injured.
Argument Leads to Assault and Stabbing
On August 15th at 3:00am, a female, 22, saw her male friend, 27, arguing with another male, 35. The female stepped into the middle of the argument and the older male punched her in the nose. He then pulled out a knife and stabbed the younger male several times in the arm and bicep before fleeing on foot. Both victims chased him, and the female was punched in the nose again. The San Francisco Police Department arrived and took the suspect into custody, and the stabbing victim was transported to Davies Medical Center with non-life threatening injuries.
If you're interested in learning more about crime prevention in the Castro, check out our recent walk-along with Castro Community On Patrol, which shared some good safety tips. For those who are interested in being involved with community safety, CCOP is always seeking volunteers.
That's all the news on the Castro crime and safety front. Let us know in the comments if we missed anything.
