In this week's Central Station newsletter, Captain Lazar writes that he and Officer Kevin Worrell staged a traffic enforcement operation on the corner of Columbus Avenue and Francisco Street last week. Dressed in plainclothes, the two walked the crosswalk on Columbus in an attempt to cite drivers who didn't yield to them. In total, 17 drivers were given citations.
The next operation will be on August 22nd at 4pm, at the same intersection.
Also, September 6th will mark the third annual Chinatown Night Out event. Modeled after National Night Out, the event is an opportunity for monolingual residents and merchants to learn about public safety and get to know Chinatown's beat officers. One of the topics the Captain will be addressing is the recent "blessing scam" that occurred in the neighborhood.
And now for your bi-weekly crime roundup, culled from SFPD reports from Central Station.
Woman forcibly robbed by three men while walking
A woman, 61, was walking near the corner of Filbert and Leavenworth streets around 6pm on July 31st when a four-door burgundy Chrysler pulled up behind her and three men jumped out. They forcefully grabbed the purse off of the victim's arm and the suspects got back into the car where a fourth suspect, a woman, drove them away eastbound on Filbert Street. The victim was uninjured; her bag contained a cell phone, cash and multiple credit cards.
Suspect punches woman and flees
On Aug. 1st at 9:30am, a woman was punched in the face at Kearny and Post streets. The victim, 31, was approached by a man in his 50s who asked her for a cigarette. When she said that she didn't have one, the suspect sucker-punched her in the face, took her eyeglasses, and fled on foot. The victim later found her glasses on the ground nearby. She suffered minor injuries but refused medical attention at the scene.
Man robbed of phone, chased by suspects
A man, 58, was walking in the FiDi near Sansome and California streets at around 1:30pm on Aug. 2nd when three male suspects approached him from behind and pressed what he believed to be a handgun to his back. The victim gave his phone to one of the suspects and then ran away from them. The three suspects, reported as being between ages 16-25, chased after him on bicycles until he was able to find safety with a nearby security guard.
Would-be champagne thief injures guard, escapes without the goods
A man in his 20s walked into a store on the 1000 block of Hyde Street in Lower Nob Hill on August 2nd at around 4:30pm, put several bottles of champagne into his bag, and then walked out without paying for the items. Two security guards ran after the suspect, who then dropped the bag of bubbly and jumped into his vehicle, a silver Chevy. While trying to escape, the suspect hit one of the guards in the stomach with the rear of his vehicle. The other security guard reached through the open driver's side window in an attempt to grab the keys from the ignition. But, as the driver sped up, the guard fell out of the window and hit the ground, suffering minor injuries.
Man shot to death while playing Pokémon Go
We previously reported news of a homicide near Ghirardelli Square on the night of August 6th. The victim, a 20-year-old San Mateo resident identified as Calvin Riley, was reportedly shot in the chest near Aquatic Park while playing the popular smartphone game Pokémon Go. No arrest has been made as of yet.
Man has urine thrown in face, wallet stolen
A man, 27, was walking in Chinatown near the intersection of Stockton and Sacramento streets at 3:30pm on August 7th when two unknown suspects threw urine in his face and hit him with an unknown blunt object. The three struggled briefly, but the suspects were eventually able to grab the victim's wallet, containing cash and cards, as well as his headphones. The victim suffered minor injuries but was able to walk to a nearby hospital.
Suspect threatens murder after cabbie refuses to give a ride
A 19-year-old suspect was attempting to hail a cab on the 500 block of Broadway in North Beach on August 7th at 10:24pm. He got into a waiting cab but the driver, 63, refused to take him to his destination. The suspect threatened to kill the driver, who exited the cab and was chased by the suspect. A nearby security guard was able to intervene, but was hit in the head with a bottle by the suspect. Police arrived and were able to take the suspect into custody. The security guard suffered minor injuries but was treated at the scene and released.
