Noe Valley Voice December-January 2001
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Police Beat

The following crime summaries are from incident reports filed at Mission Police Station during the last half of October 2001.

Residential Burglary: Between 8 and 9 p.m. on Oct. 23; 4200 block of 26th Street

Upon returning from dinner at a nearby restaurant on Tuesday, Oct. 23, a resident of an apartment building on 26th Street near Castro found her three laptop computers and cell phone charger missing from her home. Police were called to the scene and determined that an unidentified suspect had cut the screen covering the front window of the home to enter the premises. Police searched the area for possible suspects, but found none. They also queried neighbors, but none saw anybody breaking into the home.

Shooting into Inhabited Dwelling: Between 11:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. on Oct. 25; 4000 block of 24th Street

A resident of an apartment on 24th Street near Castro heard a loud bang around 11:45 a.m. on Thursday, Oct. 25. Fifteen minutes later, she noticed a bullet hole in her third-floor front window, which overlooks 24th Street. Police were unable to locate the bullet shell and believe a pellet gun may have been used.

Later that afternoon, another resident of the 4000 block of 24th Street also reported finding a bullet hole and crack in the front window of his apartment. He also believed the hole was from a pellet gun. Again, police saw the damage to the window but were unable to locate a shell.

Residential Burglary: Between 2:30 and 3:45 p.m. on Oct. 26; 4200 block of 23rd Street

The resident of an apartment building on the 4200 block of 23rd Street near Eureka returned to her apartment in the late afternoon of Friday, Oct. 26, to find her front door slightly ajar and the door frame damaged. When she entered the home, she found her purse on the entry hall floor. Her wallet, along with her ATM card, credit card, and checkbook, were missing.

The resident then went upstairs to her guest bedroom and found the closet door open. Her wedding dress and other items of clothing were missing. Also missing from the home were several pieces of expensive jewelry, including a strand of blue pearls, a gold and opal brooch, and an antique silver chain.

When police arrived, they noticed a crowbar on the bed of the upstairs guest room. The resident said it did not belong to her. Police called Crime Scene Investigations for assistance in processing evidence, and the case was forwarded to the Police Department's Burglary Division.

Assault, Malicious Mischief, and Vandalism to Property: 9:15 a.m. on Oct. 30; 3900 block of 24th Street

An employee of a Mexican restaurant on 24th Street near Sanchez told police that on the morning of Tuesday, Oct. 30, she was in the kitchen area preparing food when she saw a 6869 man in a leather jacket and blue jeans walk past the restaurant's front window pushing a shopping cart. Without warning, the suspect pointed the cart toward the window and rammed it. The suspect then pulled the cart away from the window and rammed it again. When he repeated the ramming motion a third time, the window shattered. The suspect then walked away.

Police apprehended the man on 24th Street near Noe, and the restaurant employee was able to positively identify him.

Only an hour before he shattered the window of the restaurant, the same man allegedly assaulted and stole the wristwatch of a 13-year-old male passenger while riding on the J-Church near 16th and Church streets. The victim was taken to San Francisco General Hospital for treatment. When police later apprehended the suspect on 24th Street, they conducted a pat search for weapons and found the boy's wristwatch inside his pocket. Both the victim and a witness to the crime were able to positively identify the suspect.

The suspect, who is 23, was placed under arrest for both crimes and transported to Mission Station for booking.

Police Contacts

San Francisco Police Officer Lorraine Lombardo, who patrols Noe Valley from Mission Station, provided the incident reports for this month's Police Beat. Officer Lombardo invites Noe Valley residents and merchants to attend the regular police-community meetings on the last Tuesday of the month at Mission Station, 630 Valencia Street. The next will be held Tuesday, Jan. 29, at 6 p.m.

Mission Station covers the northern half of Noe Valley, from 21st Street to Cesar Chavez. Residents can phone the station at 558-5400 or send e-mail to sfpdmissionstation@ci.sf.ca.us. To report anonymously on drugs, gangs, or other crime, call the nontraceable police hotline at 558-5452.

Merchants and residents within the Ingleside Police District (south of Cesar Chavez) are invited to attend police-community meetings held the third Tuesday of the month at Ingleside Station, 1 Sergeant John Young Lane. The next meeting will be Dec. 18 at 7 p.m. To contact Ingleside Station, call 404-4000. (Or e-mail Captain Marsha Ashe at marsha-ashe@ci-sf.ca.us.)

To report a crime in progress, call 911. (Cell phone users should dial 553-8090.)