It's time for another look at recently reported crimes around the Inner Sunset. Here's all the latest info, as reported by SFPD, as well as some important safety tips.
Wednesday, March 9th
A Parkside resident living on the 2400 block of 20th Ave. called Taraval Station to report that a basement window had been broken in his home sometime during the night before. According to the victim, various objects inside "were moved around," and he "found a flashlight in the hallway that did not belong to him."
A few hours later, on the 1900 block of 20th Ave., police responded to a battery complaint. When officers arrived, a woman reported that the suspect, who had rented a room from her, "got angry and punched the victim in her face before fleeting the scene" after "a conversation about the rent being due."
Thursday, March 10th
Police responded to a hot prowl on the 2400 block of 23rd Avenue at 3:55am, after a man woke up to find a suspect "in his room taking his bag." Although the suspect fled, the victim pursued and detained the man, who was taken into custody by officers.
Friday, March 11th
A resident on the 1600 block of 10th Ave. reported a hot prowl burglary after noticing that her garage door was ajar and her bike missing. According to the police report, the victim "was home all night and did not notice anyone come into the residence."
Sunday, March 13th
Police from Taraval Station responded to a burglary report on the 2100 block of 20th Avenue at approximately 2 am. The victim, a 78-year-old woman, told officers that she heard noises emanating from her garage hours earlier, but did not investigate.
When she went downstairs to do laundry several hours later, she noticed that "the garage was ajar," her trash containers had been knocked over, and a hole was cut in her front gate.
A few hours later, just after 5am, officers from Taraval responded to a report of an armed robbery in a business on the 1300 block of Irving Street. At the scene, police discovered two men who had been tied up by three suspects brandishing semi-automatic handguns. According to the victims, the perpetrators grabbed them when they opened a back gate. After subduing the victims, they stole cash and a safe.
Safety Tips To Avoid Hot Prowls
Hot prowls, a type of burglary in which a burglar enters a residence while the occupants are still inside, were particularly prevalent this week in the Inner Sunset. In California, a first-degree burglary is a felony, as they have the potential to escalate into violence if the perpetrator is confronted. To protect your home and valuables against a hot prowl burglar, take some basic precautions:
- Always lock doors and windows, even when you're at home. Don't leave windows open in unoccupied rooms.
- Keep garage doors locked; if you have a remote-control door opener, don't leave it in plain sight in your vehicle.
- Case your house like a burglar: if you can easily spot items like electronics, bicycles and other valuables from the street, consider moving them away from windows. (It may not the most energy-friendly policy, but a muted TV might be all the discouragement a would-be burglar needs.)
