In this week's SFPD Central Station newsletter, Capt. David Lazar applauds the grand opening of Chinese Hospital, the station's Sandlot Program for youth engagement, and the Telegraph Hill Dwellers and Russian Hill Neighbors, among others. He also writes up a list of outstanding police work so far this month, from the riveting rooftop chase on Nob Hill on April 16th (the suspect was booked earlier this week) to arrests in burglaries, robberies, arson, vandalism, sexual assault and more.
Also this week in Central Station goings-on, we did a walk-along with Officers Taylor Sherman and Jonathan Sylvester, two of the four new night beat officers for Fisherman's Wharf, and reported on crime prevention efforts there.
We also got a tip from reader Dick L., and noticed ourselves, that the "fake monks" are back on the waterfront. One in particular using crutches hassled passersby at last Saturday's Ferry Plaza Farmers Market on April 16th. We've reported on them before, and Stanley Roberts has tracked them for more than a year, but they keep coming back, despite repeated SFPD crackdowns, to bully unsuspecting people into giving them money in exchange for a trinket or bauble they thrust into their hands.
In other news, we've had an array of crimes, as reported by SFPD daily recaps:
Man robbed and pistol-whipped
As a man, 24, was walking on Hyde near Sutter Street in Lower Nob Hill at 4:10am April 16th, a man approached with a handgun and pointed it at him. The suspect stole a wallet and money from his pocket, pistol-whipped him in the face and fled on foot.
Intruder claims she's in wrong house, steals key fob
A "hot prowl" burglary, which happens when the victim is home, was reported at 7am April 16th on the 2900 block of Larkin Street in Fisherman's Wharf. The victim, a 41-year-old man, woke up to find an African American woman described as five feet, seven inches tall and 140 pounds with shoulder-length hair, wearing a black sports bra and black shorts, in his hall closet. When he asked the suspect what she was doing, she replied that she must be in the wrong house. She then left with his Volvo key fob and drove off in a white four-door Acura.
City trash can set afire
At 7:06am April 16th, a man, 51, was taking out trash on the 100 block of Stevenson Street in the FiDi when he noticed a male suspect standing by a city trash can. When he turned around, he saw the city trash can on fire and a suspect quickly walking away.
Drunken altercation leads to stabbing
A man was stabbed on the 700 block of Filbert Street near Columbus Avenue in North Beach at 10:08pm April 16th. According to the report, the suspect, a 50-year-old man, was extremely intoxicated and got into a verbal altercation with another man. The victim walked away and went to his room, and the suspect began to bang on the door of the victim's room door and threatened him. The victim exited his room to tell the suspect to stop banging on his door. That's when the suspect punched and kicked the man in the face. The victim grabbed a knife and cut the suspect in apparent self-defense to get the man off him. The victim suffered cuts to his forehead and face, but refused medical treatment.
Man mugged inside his garage
On the 1100 block of Pine Street near Jones Street in Lower Nob Hill at 10:50am on April 20th, a man, about age 30–40, followed a man, 78, into the garage of his apartment building. The victim questioned what he was doing, and the suspect pinned him against wall, took his wallet containing credit cards, a driver's license and money, and then fled.
Gun-wielding robber hits up bar
An armed man robbed a bar on the 100 block of Bay Street in Fisherman's Wharf at 12:50am April 21st. The suspect, a man of about 30, walked into the bar and pointed a gun at a woman, 39, and told her to give him the money from the register and safe. She obliged, and he fled on foot in an unknown direction.
Man sets fire in dressing room
At 10:21am April 21st on the 100 block of O'Farrell Street in Union Square, a man, 39, set paper on fire in a store dressing room. He was taken into custody.
Robbers pepper-spray woman, steal purse
We've reported on this M.O. a few times now: A woman, 27, was pepper-sprayed during a mugging. It happened at 10:22pm April 21st at Jackson and Davis streets in the FiDi. A man, about 20, approached the victim and tried to snatch her purse. She resisted, he pepper-sprayed her, and then he and a woman, about 20, got away with the purse containing money and a smart phone.
