Castro Crime: Kidnapper Impersonates Police Officer, Dominoes Game Leads To Stabbing, More

Castro Crime: Kidnapper Impersonates Police Officer, Dominoes Game Leads To Stabbing, More

A vandalized car in Duboce Triangle. | Photo: Duboce Triangle Neighborhood Association Facebook Group

Brian Ray
Published on March 01, 2017

In the weeks following our last Castro crime roundup, the neighborhood continues to see a mix of theft and violence, including a shooting, two stabbings, and ongoing car theft.

All reports are listed in chronological order and come from the SFPD's daily crime recaps, unless otherwise noted.

Church Street Shooting

At 1:51am February 9th, a 42-year-old man was speaking with someone on Church between 18th and 19th when two suspects approached. They asked the man a question, and when the man did not answer, one of the suspects shot him. The suspects then fled on foot along Church Street. The victim was transported to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries, and no arrests were made. 

Kidnapping At Gunpoint By Police Impersonator

At 7am the same day, a 48-year-old male suspect demanded that a younger man, 38, take him to a local hotel near Noe and 17th. When the younger man refused, the suspect brandished a gun, told the victim to sit and that he'd shoot him if he moved. The suspect then demanded car keys, which the victim refused to surrender. As a witness called the police, the suspect showed the witness a security badge, pretending to be a police officer. When the police arrived, officers arrested the suspect.

Sanchez Phone Robbery

A 23-year-old woman was robbed at 11:15am February 13th near 14th and Sanchez. The woman was using her phone when a younger man, 15-20, grabbed her device and got into a vehicle with three other suspects of the same age range and drove off. No arrest was made.

Dolores Park Dominoes Game Leads To Stabbing

Also on the 13th, a game of Dominoes in Dolores Park ended with one player hospitalized. Around 7pm, a man, 29, was playing dominoes with an older man, 36. After the two got into an argument, the older man slashed the younger man's arm with a pocket knife and fled on foot. The victim was transported to the hospital with injuries to his arm and no arrest was made.

Compost Bin Vs. Car Windshield

On February 21st, a Duboce Triangle Neighborhood Association Facebook Group member posted about an unfortunate vehicle smashed by a compost bin (pictured above):

"Passed by this car on 14th Street. Sorry to whomever it belongs to"

Noe Hot Prowl

A 46-year-old woman awoke on the morning of February 25th to find that, overnight, an unknown suspect had entered her home near 18th and Noe and gone through various rooms. The suspect stole items, including laptops, and no arrest was made.

Castro & 18th Stabbing

At 1:15am February 26th, a man, 24, was walking near 18th and Castro when an older man, 40, ran up to him, yelled an obscenity at him, and stabbed him in the arm. The suspect fled the scene, and the victim was transported to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries. No arrest was made.

Nextdoor Users Lament Continued Car Break-Ins

An ongoing Nextdoor topic in the area has been car break-ins. The most recent incident reports include a break-in on February 23rd in Corona Heights and a carjacking near Church and Market on February 24th. Some victims note that there doesn't appear to be any forced entry, leading them to speculate that thieves may be using a device to capture and/or amplify remote entry signals.

Alleged Castro Arsonist David Diaz Set To Be Released From Custody

In a Hoodline article on Monday, we offered an update on David Diaz, an alleged serial arsonist who was also convicted of involuntary manslaughter in 2014. He was most recently in custody on suspicion of assault in November of last year. Diaz is set to be released on March 16th and conditions of his release are expected to include a midnight curfew and wearing an ankle bracelet for up to a year.

Did we miss any recent crimes around the neighborhood? If you've got info on a crime or neighborhood safety issue to share, send us a tip here or add a comment below. Or, text Hoodline at (415) 200-3233 if you see an incident, and we’ll see what we can find out.