FiDi/North Beach crime: Man assaults woman, police officer; 81-year-old injured in robbery; more

FiDi/North Beach crime: Man assaults woman, police officer; 81-year-old injured in robbery; morePhoto: Kimson Doan/Unsplash
Nathan Falstreau
Published on August 14, 2019

Here are some notable crime incidents in SFPD's Central District since our last biweekly recap. The district encompasses Chinatown; the Financial District; the Embarcadero; Russian, Telegraph and Nob Hills; North Beach and Union Square.

Man arrested for starting small fire

On Aug. 13 at 1:34 a.m., a 25-year-old man was arrested for starting a small fire near the corner of Sansome and Sacramento streets in the FiDi.

Police say the suspect set a pack of gum ablaze, then threw it into a trashcan. Officers in the area were able to take the suspect into custody, and no injuries or damage were reported. 

Elderly man injured in robbery

On the 100 block of Powell Street, near Union Square, an 81-year-old man was injured in a robbery on Aug. 12 at 11:45 a.m. 

Police say the victim was at the "upstairs counter" of an area business when a woman, 53, "yanked the victim's watch from him," and then fled the scene on foot. The victim suffered non-life-threatening injuries, but refused medical treatment as the scene. 

Woman arrested for pepper-spraying, robbing man

A 27-year-old woman was arrested for robbery on Aug. 11 at 1 a.m., near the intersection of Post and Taylor streets in Lower Nob Hill. 

The suspect approached a 30-year-old man and pepper-sprayed him before taking his wallet and fleeing the scene. Officers in the area were able to locate the suspect and take her into custody. No injuries were reported in connection to the incident. 

Teen arrested for robbery

On Aug. 9 at 1 p.m., a 15-year-old boy was arrested for stealing a 31-year-old woman's cellphone near First and Market streets in the FiDi, 

The suspect allegedly "ripped" the victim's phone from her hands and fled on foot. He was later arrested by officers in the area, but the victim's phone was not recovered. 

Woman punched, robbed on the Embarcadero

A 39-year-old woman was injured in a robbery on the 100 block of The Embarcadero on Aug. 8 at 8:20 p.m.

The suspect, a man in his early 40s, punched the victim in the face and then absconded with her money. The woman suffered non-life-threatening injuries, but it's not clear if she was transported to a hospital for treatment. No arrest has been made. 

Suspect arrested for punching woman, police officer

On Aug. 8 at 9:34 a.m., a 37-year-old woman was attacked by a 34-year-old on the 300 block of Market Street in the FiDi.

The suspect punched the victim in the head, and as he fled the scene, was spotted by an officer, who he then punched in the face. He was later apprehended by other officers for assault, and taken into custody. The victim and the assaulted police officer suffered non-life-threatening injuries. 

5 boys snag woman's phone and flee

Also in the FiDi, on Aug. 6 at 8:50 p.m., five male juveniles robbed a 23-year-old woman near the corner of Sansome and Commercial streets. 

One of the boys grabbed the victim's cellphone and fled the area, but the victim gave chase and was able to retrieve her phone. No injuries or arrests were reported in connection to the incident. 

Woman robbed, thrown to the ground

On Aug. 5 at 6:50 p.m., a 54-year-old woman was robbed by an 18-year-old man in North Beach, near the intersection of Columbus Avenue and Francisco Street.

The victim was using her phone when the suspect grabbed it from her and threw her to the ground. The suspect then ran into a waiting car, phone in hand, and fled the scene. No injuries were reported. 

Teen punched, robbed of camera

On Aug. 4 at 11 p.m.,on the 300 block of Post Street in Union Square, a male suspect in his early 20s robbed a 15-year-old boy. 

The suspect punched the victim and then took his camera before fleeing the scene. The victim was not injured during the incident, and no arrests have been made. 

Man robbed at gunpoint in early morning

On the 500 block of Filbert Street in North Beach, a 23-year-old man was robbed at gunpoint by two male suspects, 20-30, on Aug. 4 at 2:45 a.m.

One of the suspects pointed a gun at the victim, who attempted to flee, but fell to the ground. Facing the suspect's gun, the victim handed over his wallet, containing cash, identification and bank cards. The two suspects then fled the scene with the purloined items. The victim was injured during the robbery, but refused medical treatment. 


Anyone who has information about any of these incidents is encouraged to contact SFPD via the department's anonymous tip line at (415) 575-4444, or text TIP411 with "SFPD" at the start of the message.

Here’s why we usually don’t include suspect descriptions in crime reports.