San Francisco police say a citywide plainclothes team tailing a car tied to a series of auto burglaries ended up arresting two people on Wednesday, after a stolen gold chain surfaced at a jewelry shop on 24th Street. A Drone First Responder unit helped track the vehicle from the 7th Avenue area to the store, according to police. The suspects are an 18-year-old man and a juvenile female whose name is not being released. The department has put out a video of the takedown while the investigation stays active.
Officers followed the purple Dodge Challenger with drone support
According to the San Francisco Police Department, officers assigned to the Citywide Plainclothes Team began watching a purple Dodge Challenger at about 11:09 a.m. on April 29, using a Drone as a First Responder unit to assist. The agency says officers saw a masked person head toward a school on the 1300 block of 7th Avenue, then run back to the car before it sped off down Judah Avenue. Plainclothes units continued to shadow the Challenger as it went to the 2900 block of 24th Street and parked on Florida Street. Police say the situation escalated when the passenger walked into a jewelry store and handed an item to an employee that matched the description of the stolen gold chain.
Stolen chain leads to arrests at a 24th Street shop
In a post on X, the department shared video that shows the passenger passing the gold chain to a jewelry-store employee before officers move in. The post says officers detained the passenger on the spot and seized the chain. Investigators later developed probable cause to arrest the passenger and took the driver into custody at 24th Street and Florida Street. The X post links out to the department's news release and includes downloadable video clips for anyone who wants a closer look. Police say the chain was returned to the victim after it was recovered.
WATCH: On Apr 29, SFPD officers were tracking a vehicle linked to a string of auto burglaries. Through coordinated efforts, plainclothes officers were able to arrest two robbery suspects and recover stolen property.
— San Francisco Police (@SFPD) April 30, 2026
READ MORE: https://t.co/vZwmiiojC9 pic.twitter.com/RHy1usp7xD
Who was charged
The department's news release identifies the 18-year-old driver as Husani Derrell Cooks and describes the passenger as a juvenile female whose name is being withheld. Both were arrested on suspicion of robbery (211 PC), conspiracy (182(a)(1) PC) and possession of stolen merchandise (496(a) PC). SFPD listed case number 260-237-362 for the incident. Authorities are asking anyone with information to call the SFPD tip line at 1-415-575-4444 or text TIP411 and start the message with 'SFPD.' The investigation remains active.
Why this matters
The arrests came on the heels of an April 29 warning about a jewelry-robbery scheme that often targets seniors by offering fake gifts and then quietly removing real jewelry, a notice reported by The SF News. San Francisco police have recently leaned on drones and plainclothes surveillance to track suspect vehicles instead of engaging in high-speed chases, and local coverage has highlighted several drone-assisted arrests and recoveries. SFist reported on an operation in early April where a drone helped locate a getaway car and recover stolen property.
