While we don't report on every police report filed, we do our best to keep you informed of major crimes and safety concerns in the neighborhood. Here's a selection of crimes reported around SoMa within the first half of September. All details are pulled from the SFPD's daily crime recaps unless otherwise noted.
Robbery & Murder
Regarding the city's 32nd homicide of the year, which occurred at about 10pm Sept. 3rd at Sixth and Market streets, the San Francisco Appeal reported yesterday that two employees of the Eviction Defense Collaborative are being charged with robbery and murder in the case.
Based on police reports, court records and video evidence, the Appeal reports that 21-year-old intern Pascal Krummenacher took a messenger bag from 61-year-old James Thomas, believing that it was the same bag that was stolen from his colleague, 31-year-old staff attorney Carlos Alejandro Argueta, earlier that night. Then Argueta allegedly stabbed Thomas twice, which resulted in his death at SF General soon after. Krummenacher appeared in court yesterday and his bail was set for $1 million. Details on Argueta's first court appearance were not disclosed.
Stabbing
At about 6:45am on Sept. 11th, a 33-year-old man sleeping on the sidewalk on the first block of Second Street awoke to find three men holding him down, while one stabbed him multiple times. All three suspects fled and were not apprehended. The victim was transferred to SF General with non life-threatening wounds on his chest and hands. No arrest was made.
Robbery With Gun
Four 19-year-old men were sitting in a parked car at Third and Harrison streets at about 9:40pm Sept. 9th when two men, one with a gun, approached the vehicle and demanded their property. The victims handed over phones, wallets and jewelry, and the suspects fled in a black four-door BMW with a broken driver-side window. The suspects were not apprehended.
At 4:40am Sept. 7th at Stevenson and Annie streets, a man, 24, was threatened at gunpoint by three men who demanded his property. The victim complied and the suspects fled in a black sedan. No arrest was made.
Another robbery at gunpoint occurred around the same time on Sept. 4th at Colton and Colusa streets. A 31-year-old man was approached by two females asking about drugs. When the victim said he had no information for them, a man in his late 20s approached with a gun and took the victim's cellphone and bicycle. The suspect, who fled on the stolen bike, was not arrested.
Home Invasion With Gun
A 39-year-old man was robbed at gunpoint at his home on the 300 block of Harrison Street a little before 7pm on Sept. 6th. The victim answered a knock on the door to find a man and a woman with a gun. The victim run from his room and the suspects took a variety of items before fleeing. Neither suspect was arrested.
Robbery With Force
Three women in the neighborhood were attacked and robbed in the early morning and afternoon hours on Sept. 5th.
At about 1:20am, a 48-year-old woman outside her residence on the 100 block of Sixth Street saw a man she recognized and invited him into her room after a chat outside. Upstairs, the man, 26, pulled her arm behind her back, emptied her pockets and fled. The suspect was not arrested.
Two hours later at Ninth and Harrison streets, a 20-year-old woman was approached by a man in his early 30s. The suspect punched her in the mouth and took her cellphone property. The victim was transferred to SF General with a non-life-threatening injury, and the suspect, who fled on foot, was not apprehended.
Around noon that same day, a 32-year-old woman was approached by two men while inside a shop on the first block of Sixth Street. The first suspect placed his arm around her shoulders and grabbed her purse while the second suspect took her phone. Both suspects left the shop, dumping the contents of the purse and grabbing the victim's wallet and money, before fleeing the scene. Neither of the two suspects were arrested.
At about 9:30pm two days later, a 79-year-old man carrying shopping bags was robbed on the 700 block of Mission Street. The suspect, a man in his mid-20s, snatched a gold chain from the victim, causing him to fall to the ground and scrape his knee. The suspect fled on foot and was not apprehended.
Aggravated Assault
A man, 59, was attacked by three men at about 5:40pm Sept. 14th at Fifth and Harrison streets after refusing to hand over his money. The victim was punched and kicked multiple times before fleeing. No arrest was made.
Police Boundary Redistricting
On a positive note, the police department and residents alike seem to be pleased with the new police boundaries implemented this summer. Rather than sharing Market Street with Southern Station, Tenderloin Station is now responsible for all of Market Street from Third Street to South Van Ness, and patrols one block across Market Street to Mission Street within that stretch.
In a recent roundtable with reporters, Chief Greg Suhr said the department hasn't received a single complaint. And, officers from the Southern and Tenderloin stations are working in coordination to handle crimes that occur on their boundaries, which he believes is crucial for managing the city's rising crime rates while waiting for more than 2,000 additional officers to be deployed by 2017.
To learn more about recent crime in the neighborhood and share safety concerns with Captain Jerome DeFilippo of SFPD's Southern Station, neighbors are welcome to attend the station's monthly community meeting at 6pm every third Wednesday. The meeting travels, so call the station at (415) 575-6000 or check Twitter each month for the exact location.
