In keeping with its promise to track down and arrest more serial robbery suspects who've targeted Union Square's high-end stores, SFPD Central Station announced another arrest yesterday: that of 22-year-old Pittsburg resident Kelvin Dale Burton, who is accused of stealing more than $100,000 in designer purses, clothing, and accessories from various stores.
The police are implicating Burton in four incidents over the past few months, all of which occurred in broad daylight:
- March 3rd: The theft of eight handbags, collectively worth over $6,000, from a store on the 100 block of Grant Street
- April 19th: The theft of $30,000 worth of clothes, handbags, and accessories from a store on the 100 block of O'Farrell Street
- May 17th: An incident in which three people used force to steal $32,000 of merchandise from a store on the 100 block of Post Street
- May 29th: An incident in which multiple suspects stole handbags and accessories worth $44,000 from a store on the 200 block of Post Street, and pepper-sprayed a store employee who tried to prevent the theft
Burton's arrest follows the June 8th arrest of 54-year-old Lemuel Brown, who is accused of repeatedly robbing outdoor gear boutique Sportique (808 Sutter St.), where he allegedly targeted female employees, threatening and intimidating them before making off with merchandise.
As Central Station's Lt. Valerie Matthews explained earlier this month, there's been a recent rash of shoplifting and robberies both in Union Square and around the Bay Area. Rings of criminals make the rounds to standalone stores and shopping malls in San Francisco, Colma, Daly City, San Jose and even Sacramento, selling the stolen goods at flea markets, small shops and online.
Additional suspects remain outstanding in two of the cases involving Burton, on May 17th and May 29th. If you have any information, call the Central Station Investigation Team at (415) 315-2400, the SFPD anonymous tip line at (415) 575-4444, or text a tip to TIP411 and begin the text message with "SFPD."
