It's time once again to review notable recent crimes around the Inner Sunset and Cole Valley. In this edition: a daylight robbery on a busy street, assault with a deadly weapon, a brazen shoplifter, a bunch of hot prowl burglaries, and other transgressions. All reports come from SFPD crime recaps, unless otherwise noted.
Double Hot Prowls
In the wee hours of February 11th, two nearby homes were burgled while residents were present. On the 1000 block of Ashbury, a woman woke up around 7:30am and noticed that a garage window was broken, and a bicycle was missing. Meanwhile, on the 1000 block of Clayton, a resident entered her garage to discover that her car had been "rummaged through" overnight.
Pepper Spray Robbery
At 11:33 am on February 12th, a woman walking on Frederick Street near Stanyan was accosted by a man in a car. He pulled up and ordered her to hand over her purse before spraying her with pepper spray. The victim gave him her bag, and the suspect fled the scene, driving eastbound on Frederick in a four-door vehicle.
Trespasser with Warrants
Later that day on the 2300 block of 12th Avenue, officers from Taraval Station responded to a report of a trespasser. The victim told police that the suspect "had been lying in their doorway for the past three days." After the suspect refused to produce ID, officers brought her to the station, where a computer check determined that she had 16 outstanding warrants. She was subsequently arrested and booked for trespassing and resisting or delaying an officer's duties.
Photo: dutchbaby/Flickr
Repeat Shoplifter
At 1:39 pm on February 16th, police responded to a shoplifting call on the 700 block of Irving, and located the suspect at the scene. According to a witness, the suspect came into the store and began eating items offered for sale without paying. "The suspect then taunted the witness to call the police and stated that nothing will happen if she did," according to the police report. The witness told police that the suspect had a history of shoplifting from the store, and the suspect was cited for consuming alcohol in public and shoplifting.
Assault With Hammer and Frying Pan
On February 17th, Park Station officers responded to a 5:40pm call at 6th & Irving. At the scene, police determined that the suspect hit the victim with a shopping cart, then removed a hammer from the cart and struck the victim, who managed to wrestle the weapon away.
After that, the suspect allegedly produced a frying pan from his cart and "threatened to kill" the victim, who backed away. Police arrested the suspect at the scene for assault with a deadly weapon. The victim, who suffered a laceration to the head, was transported to a hospital for treatment.
According to California law, assault with a deadly weapon may be charged as a felony or as a misdemeanor, depending on the circumstances of the crime and the severity of the injuries inflicted. A misdemeanor sentence carries a penalty of up to a year in County jail; a felony conviction can earn a minimum of two to four years in state prison.
The next Park Station monthly meeting will be on Tuesday, March 8th at 6pm in the station's community room at 1899 Waller St. The next Taraval Station community meeting is on Wednesday, March 23, 2016 from 6 pm to 8 pm at Ortega Branch Library, 3223 Ortega St. & 39th Ave.
