The string of incidents began on Wednesday when a 20-year-old man, Tauangemai Latukefu, was nabbed for stealing $961 worth of clothes from Macy's and assaulting loss prevention officers. In an attempt to flee, he reportedly tried to punch one of the agents before (a) police took him into custody. Latukefu is now facing second-degree robbery charges for what turned into an Estes Robbery, which elevates shoplifting to a felony when a physical confrontation occurs, according to San Mateo Police Department.
Another incident on December 1 saw Cenneth Redard, a 27-year-old convicted felon from San Jose, arrested after officers linked him to gunshots heard near a high school and a stolen vehicle containing a firearm. "The stolen vehicle reported out of San Francisco less than 5 hours earlier contained a firearm in the trunk," the SMPD statement said. Redard is slapped with multiple charges, including possession of a stolen vehicle, felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, and carrying a concealed weapon.
The weekend chaos continued into Sunday when a Good Samaritan was brutally attacked after trying to de-escalate a potential fight involving teenagers. The attempt turned violent as the man was pushed and beaten, with his cell phone stolen in the process. In the police response that followed, three male juveniles were detained, with a fourth suspect on the loose. The apprehended teens, all San Mateo residents, were also linked to a prior incident involving the theft of $100 worth of alcohol from a Walgreen's, further muddying their legal predicament with charges of assault with force likely to produce great bodily injury and battery with serious bodily injury.
