Castro Crime: 5-On-1 Armed Robbery, 'Hope For A World Cure' Defaced Again, More

Castro Crime: 5-On-1 Armed Robbery, 'Hope For A World Cure' Defaced Again, MoreRepeat damage to the windows at George's Market. | Photo: Alisa Scerrato/Hoodline
Brian Ray
Published on April 10, 2017

Since our last Castro crime roundup, the neighborhood has seen a steady mix of crime. As with many of the crime reports Hoodline receives, most incidents happened early in the mornings, usually between midnight and 6am.

Read on for a recap of what's been going down lately in the crime and safety department. (All reports are listed in chronological order and come from the SFPD's daily crime recaps, unless otherwise noted.)

Assault/robbery with knife at 20th & Church

On April 1st at 12:41am, a man and woman, both 19, were approached by three men in their 20s near 20th and Church. One of the men pulled out a knife and demanded their property, while a second man assaulted the two victims. The trio stole a sweater, phones, IDs, and credit cards and fled in a dark sedan.

The police were able to locate and arrest the suspects. The victims had injuries from the assault, but declined to be taken to the hospital.

Teen hot prowler on Church Street 

An early morning hot prowl occurred near Church and 15th on April 2nd at 3:20am. A 46-year-old man awoke to a noise coming from his house. Upon investigating, he discovered a younger man, 14-18, on the stairs, who then fled the house on foot. The prowler got away with a briefcase, laptop, and hard drive. No arrest was made.

Man attacked by five people at Castro & Market

Around 2am on April 3rd, a man, 51, was leaving a business near Castro and Market and began yelling. Five other men, 22-27, heard him and assaulted him. No arrests were made, and the victim was transported to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

Car ride ends in armed robbery

On April 6th at 5:40am, a 40-year-old man got into a car with another man, 45, near Ellis and Polk, and fell asleep in the vehicle. When the 40-year-old awoke in the car near Market and Dolores, he discovered that his wallet was missing. He confronted the driver, who brandished a handgun. The victim exited the vehicle, and the suspect drove off with the victim's bank card and IDs. No arrest was made.

Three armed robbers assault man on Noe Street

Just a day later on the 7th at 2:15am, a man, 25, was walking near Noe and 15th when an unknown male suspect pushed him to the ground and pointed a handgun at him. Another unknown male suspect was present as a third, female suspect when through the victim's pockets. The three suspects stole a phone, wallet, ID, and credit cards before fleeing in a vehicle. No arrests were made.

George's Market mural damaged a second time

Last December, Hoodline covered the damage done to a window mural at George's Market at 702 14th St. Late last week, the window was once again damaged (pictured at top).

According to an employee, a man walking by got in an argument with another passerby, and punched the window from the exterior of the liquor store. SFPD was called and arrived, but no arrests were made.

Graffiti continues across the Castro

PHOTO: RINK FOTO

Graffiti isn't new to the neighborhood, but there are some specific new instances to note. First up is the defacing of the photographs and history signage at Harvey Milk Plaza, near the Castro Muni entrance, as captured by tipster Rink Foto.

PHOTO: ANONYMOUS

Additional graffiti also appeared on the The Hope For A World Cure mural on 16th Street near Market, less than a month after it was tagged by a serial graffiti vandal who hit many other Castro locations as well.

PHOTO: ALISA SCERRATO/HOODLINE

Finally, new "Evict Trump" graffiti has gone up on the building closest to the former Home restaurant space at Church and Market, which is currently in the process of becoming a mixed-use apartment building.

Graffiti is a crime and can be reported a number of ways, including 311 and (415) 531-0123 for found graffiti, and 911 for graffiti in progress. Learn more on SF Public Works' information page.

Neighborhood meeting

The Duboce Triangle Neighborhood Association will hold a general meeting tonight, April 10, from 7-9pm at the Gazebo on the CPMC Davies Campus. In addition to covering crime and safety updates for the neighborhood, speaker Randy Quezada, Communications and Community Relations Manager for the San Francisco Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing, will discuss what the department has done since it's 2016 creation and upcoming plans. He will also discuss options for residents who witness tent encampments and how to interact with the homeless living on the street.

Did we miss any recent crimes around the neighborhood? If you've got info on a crime or neighborhood safety issue to share, send us a tip here or add a comment below. Or text Hoodline at (415) 200-3233 if you see an incident, and we’ll see what we can find out.