San Francisco Police have nabbed a suspect linked to an armed robbery that terrorized a local business earlier this month. According to an official report by the SFPD, the robbery unfolded on January 4, when a gunman stormed into a store on Ocean Avenue, leading to a frantic call for help at around 6 p.m.
The 19-year-old clerk on duty described a harrowing encounter with an unknown male who brandished a gun, demanded cash, and then bolted from the scene with the stolen loot, running south on Miramar Avenue. The swift response from the Taraval station officers wasn't enough to catch a suspect in the act, but their persistence paid off a couple of weeks later.
It was near the very location of the crime where SFPD made their breakthrough. On January 17, during a follow-up investigation, cops spotted a man they believed fit the description of the perp. The man, identified as 26-year-old Haoli Weng, was taken into custody and hit with robbery charges. A search at his residence unearthed a firearm, according to the SFPD's statement.
While an arrest has been made this investigation is far from over, as detectives continue to dig for more clues. The SFPD is urging witnesses, or anyone with a snippet of information, to come forward and contact the SFPD Tip Line or send a tip via text. Weng's arrest might be a step toward closure for the young clerk, but the story of that January night is still being written.
