As of Thursday, a purse snatcher may be on the loose in the area. According to an alert from UCSF sent in by a tipster, at around 11am on Thursday, a robbery took place on one of the UCSF shuttles that ferries students between campuses.
The driver was alerted and stopped the bus at 4th and Lincoln, at which point the female suspect hit the driver before fleeing on foot with a faculty member's purse and a cell phone. The suspect was seen entering a cab.
Later in the day, someone resembling the suspect was spotted at the McDonald's at Stanyan and Haight. She's described as a black female, approximately 30 years old, around 5'10", 200lbs, and wearing a pink bandana, a purple parka or windbreaker, purple shirt, and black pants.
Anyone with information regarding this incident is encouraged to contact the UCSF Police Department at (415) 476-1414 and refer to case #2014-30011.
Our tipster, a UCSF student, pointed out that although technically the UCSF shuttles are reserved for students, faculty, staff, patients and visitors, there's no ID check when boarding. This is the only shuttle robbery listed in UCSF's crime alerts, so it remains to be seen if they'll beef up shuttle security.
As always, stay safe out there.