Peter Hartikka
On January 29th around 10 p.m., a Castro resident, Peter Hartikka 48, was robbed at gunpoint by two men as he was entering his apartment in the 4600 block of 18th Street after an evening work out at the gym.
He posted the following account to the Facebook page of the Castro Community on Patrol in an effort to let them and his community aware of what happened and to keep an eye out.
"Last night I was assaulted and robbed at gunpoint in the entryway of my apartment building on upper 18th Street. The thugs had apparently observed me checking my smart phone as I was walking up the street. Fortunately I'm OK, and the stuff they stole can all be replaced -- but please treat this as an urgent reminder to avoid using your smartphone in public, especially after dark."
Mr. Hartikka was robbed of cash, wallet, phone, bike messenger bag, and ID. Luckily he wasn't injured beyond the emotional damage one experiences as a victim of a very frightening, life threatening crime.
He gave detailed descriptions of the thieves to the B.A.R. stating: the man with the gun is Anglo, near 6 feet, mid 20s, average to heavy build, slight moustache and brown, medium-length hair, He was wearing a flannel shirt/jacket with grey, brown, and other colors. He appeared “unkempt” or may be homeless.
The second man is White also, shorter than the first suspect, 5 feet 9 inches, and same age or slightly younger. He had lighter hair that was in a buzz cut and an average build.
As we have noted here repeatedly of late in several posts crime seems to be on an uptick here in the Castro. Supervisor Scott Wiener convened a Neighborhood Safety Forum just a day before this incident on Jan. 28th between the community, members of law enforcement, community activists and various departments within the City like the DA in an attempt to raise awareness around the issue and have ongoing discussions about how to be more aware, prepared and involved in fighting local crime.
In an attempt to help the community have a quick reference guide to numbers, suggestions and agency's to contact regarding one's safety in the Castro and City in general we have established a 'Safety Page' within the Castro Biscuit.
The Safety tab is located at the top of the blog, on the left, next to our other info tabs Events, About, and Places. Please take a moment to look the information over. Sometimes its the simplest things we do that will keep us safest in the long run.
Anyone with information regarding Mr. Harikkas robbery may call the SFPD anonymous tip line (415) 575-4444 or text a tip to 847411 and type SFPD, then the message. The report number for the 18th Street robbery is 130 083 281.
As we have noted here repeatedly of late in several posts crime seems to be on an uptick here in the Castro. Supervisor Scott Wiener convened a Neighborhood Safety Forum just a day before this incident on Jan. 28th between the community, members of law enforcement, community activists and various departments within the City like the DA in an attempt to raise awareness around the issue and have ongoing discussions about how to be more aware, prepared and involved in fighting local crime.
In an attempt to help the community have a quick reference guide to numbers, suggestions and agency's to contact regarding one's safety in the Castro and City in general we have established a 'Safety Page' within the Castro Biscuit.
The Safety tab is located at the top of the blog, on the left, next to our other info tabs Events, About, and Places. Please take a moment to look the information over. Sometimes its the simplest things we do that will keep us safest in the long run.
Anyone with information regarding Mr. Harikkas robbery may call the SFPD anonymous tip line (415) 575-4444 or text a tip to 847411 and type SFPD, then the message. The report number for the 18th Street robbery is 130 083 281.
