SFPD Central Station Capt. David Lazar's newsletter is on hiatus this week, but he did speak to a group of Telegraph Hill residents at a special meeting on crime and safety on Jan. 5th and gave some handy tips, including: don't walk alone at night, stay aware of your surroundings (take those earbuds out), be aware when using ATMs, carry a whistle and flashlight, and install video surveillance at your home.
Also, we want to point out the fake monks are back: After a lull in activity following some serious shaming by the media—in large part due to KRON4's Stanley Roberts' "People Behaving Badly" segments—we've noticed an uptick in people dressed as monks trying to scam people out of money along the Embarcadero, particularly near the Ferry Building and on Market Street. SFPD has cracked down on them time and again, but they return.
Now for the past week's crime recaps.
Teenagers steal toy, beat vendors
Two 17-year-old girls who apparently got coal in their stockings over the holidays approached a girl, 14, and man, 39, who were selling light toys at 12:20pm Dec. 31st at the Embarcadero at Kearny Street in Fisherman's Wharf. The girls took and toy and the vendors tried to retain it, but the girls battered them—causing a bloody nose, facial bruising and abrasions—and then fled on foot.
Snubbed driver turns violent, assaults trio of women
At 4am Jan. 1st, a man about 20–25 years old driving a 2008 Pontiac Grand Prix passed by three women (one age 24; two age 29) walking on the 200 block of Post Street near Grant Avenue in Union Square. They denied his advances and he didn't like it, so he exited his vehicle and assaulted all three women. They suffered a laceration to the eye, loss of consciousness, bruising to the face and a swollen face and went to the hospital.
Man grabbed, robbed; suspect nabbed
A 24-year-old man was robbed with force at 6am Jan. 1st on the 1000 block of Kearny Street in North Beach. He was waiting outside on sidewalk when two men, age 30, invited him into the lobby area of building to wait for a ride. The victim started to leave when one suspect grabbed him, and then both suspects went through his pockets and took a cell phone, debit card and money. The victim fled the building, and one suspect was taken into custody.
Woman punches would-be robber, retrieves necklace
We haven't read about the dreaded necklace grab in quite a while, but it happened again at 7:05pm Jan. 1st near Post and Taylor streets on the Lower Nob Hill/Union Square border. This time, though, the robber didn't get away with it. A man, 50, grabbed an 18-year-old woman from behind, spun her around and grabbed the necklace off of her neck. She punched him, and he dropped the necklace. The woman picked it up and ran away. She suffered superficial scratches, but refused medical transport.
Trio suspected of robbing man at gunpoint arrested
Two male youths, age 16 and 17, and an 18-year-old man were in a black and gray Toyota RAV4 and robbed a man, 47, at gunpoint of his smart phone, wallet, credit cards and money at 5:56am Jan. 3rd on Union Street near Genoa Place in North Beach. They were later arrested.
Another holdup at gunpoint
Another robbery at gunpoint happened at 5:42pm Jan. 5th when an unknown suspect brandished a handgun and stole money from a 19-year-old man at Trenton Street and Pacific Avenue in Chinatown. No arrest was made this time.
