Castro Crime & Safety: Scott Wiener Robbed, Break-Ins At Eiji And Ten Tigers, More

Castro Crime & Safety: Scott Wiener Robbed, Break-Ins At Eiji And Ten Tigers, MorePhoto: torbakhopper/Flickr
Brian Ray
Published on January 04, 2016

Despite the holidays and the cold weather, the Castro finished 2015 and started the new year with a steady flow of criminal activity since our last crime and safety roundup. This time around, we saw a mix of assaults, break-ins, and robberies—including the robbery of our very own District 8 Supervisor. (All information comes from SFPD reports, unless otherwise noted.)

Wiener Phone Robbery

On December 18th, District 8 Supervisor Scott Wiener had his phone stolen out of his hand in the Mission, and was threatened with mace by the woman and her two male companions who stole it. He negotiated with them to buy the phone back, took them to an ATM where their faces could be recorded, and helped police identify and arrest the woman after a bank security guard called the SFPD. This NBC Bay Area article has more on the incident.

Ten Tigers And Eiji Break-Ins

An anonymous tipster told us about two recent business break-ins along Sanchez Street.

Last week, Eiji, the really popular sushi restaurant, was broken into. Early this morning, Ten Tigers Body Piercing was also broken into.


A still of the Ten Tigers damage from a security video. (Image: Courtesy of Ten Tigers)

We spoke with Ten Tigers owner Tori Venton, who told us that her 3506 16th St. business, which opened in August of last year, was broken into around 5am on December 23rd. "I was lucky enough to have a good samaritan neighbor call the police when she saw the front door to my business wide open," she said. "I can't discuss much of the case, as there is an active investigation going on. I can say that they did more damage breaking into my shop than they did in actual stolen property."

Friends of Venton have put together a Gofundme page to help cover the cost of the stolen jewelry; her insurance will cover the damages to the store. In the meantime, she's getting back to work: "Ten Tigers will be open for business Tuesday, January 5th," she told us.

As for Eiji, the restaurant didn't respond to a request for comment; we'll update if we hear anything from them.

Tackler Steals Children's Clothing

A woman, 53, was walking at Danvers and 19th at 7:28pm on Dec. 23rd when she was approached by a man, 25-30. The man tackled her from behind, grabbed a shopping bag full of children's clothing from her, and fled on foot. She was uninjured and no arrest was made.

Christmas Day Robbery

On Dec. 25th at 6pm, a man, 31, was sitting on a bench at Church and 20th when he was approached by two men. The suspects punched the victim in the face, stole his backpack and phone, and fled on foot. No arrests were made.

Church Street Hot Prowl

A 42-year-old man awoke on Dec. 27th to find that his front door was damaged and open. An unknown suspect had entered the property overnight, stealing items as the victim slept. The stolen items included two bicycles, skis, and ski boots. No arrest has been made.

Early Morning Market Theft

A woman, 30, was walking near Market and 15th at 7am on Dec. 28th when she noticed that she was being followed by two men, 18-25. As she turned to face them, she was told not to move, and the suspects grabbed her wallet and fled on Market Street. No arrests were made.

French Tourists Assaulted, Robbed

Three French tourists were robbed at 11:15am on Dec. 28th along Twin Peaks Boulevard, by Tank Hill. The two women, 50 and 77, and one man, 81, were taking photos of the city when two men, 20-25, approached them and demanded their property.

As one woman complied, one of the suspects shoved the 81-year-old man to the ground, causing him to lose consciousness. The thieves took a camera, lens, money, and the victims' French passports, and fled the scene. No arrests were made; the victims were taken to the hospital for the loss of consciousness, as well as an abrasion to the head, and wrist pain.

Punched And Robbed

A man, 54, was approached by another man, 40, on Dec. 30th around 9am, near Church and Market. The assailant punched him in the face and demanded his property, then grabbed his wallet and fled on foot. No arrest was made.

New Year's Day Gun-Wielding Thieves On Bicycles

At 7am on the morning of January 1st, a man, 38, was walking near 16th and Dolores when two men, 20 and 30, approached him from behind, grabbing and twisting his arms. They stole his wallet, money, and keys before fleeing on bicycles. The victim said that one of them was carrying a semi-automatic handgun as well. No arrests were made.


Did we miss anything? Let us know in the comments below. If you've got a crime or neighborhood safety tip to share, send us a tip here, or via Facebook or Twitter.