Noe Valley Voice October 2000
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Police Beat: Burgs, Perps...and a Blessed Event

By Officer Lois Perillo

There were 10 burglaries within Noe Valley during August, involving five apartments, four houses, and one garage. In an unfortunate pattern, five of the burgs occurred when the thief entered via an unlocked door, while the resident was out.

Even more disturbing was a break-in on Wednesday, Aug. 8, around 5:30 p.m. on the 500 block of Diamond Street. The burglar entered through an open front sliding window while one resident showered and another napped. The suspect stole a laptop computer and money before fleeing unseen, and may be responsible for another break-in on the same day, just doors away.

Residents, please lock your doors! And install safety locks on your windows.

The Case of the Silver Bike

On Sunday, Aug. 20, at 12 noon on the first block of Jersey Street, a housesitter left a door on the side of the garage open so that a friend could borrow a bicycle from inside the garage. But when the friend arrived, he found a silver bicycle outside the garage, and borrowed that bike instead. He returned it later, and the housesitter relocked the garage door.

However, when the resident of the house came back, he found that several tools had been stolen from inside the garage. He also noticed something odd: Standing next to his own bicycle was an unidentified silver bike. The next day, a man came to his house looking for a silver bike, but left when the resident asked for identification. Apparently, the house-sitter's friend had interrupted a burglary and ridden off on the thief's getaway bike. Police were called to the house and seized the silver bike, booking it for evidence.

Trespasser Claims Pot Defense

A 20-year-old man who trespassed into a 40-year-old woman's back yard on the 3800 block of 25th Street on Thursday, Aug. 24, at 7:50 a.m., and who was confronted by the woman and also seen entering the property by an undercover sergeant, was detained and found in possession of probable marijuana.

Upon his arrest, the suspect said he was only looking for marijuana growing in a yard adjacent to that of the woman who reported the trespass. For the record, the responding officers checked the surrounding yards and found no pot plants.

The suspect was booked on trespassing and drug possession and sent to county jail. However, he was released the same day, and charges were dismissed. An internal memo stated that further investigation was necessary.

Don't Try the '10-Finger Discount'

There were three reported shoplifts within Noe Valley during August, two of which resulted in arrests.

A 30-year-old man who was caught stealing liquor at Bell Market by the manager on Saturday, Aug. 19, at 2 p.m., was booked on theft. Since he had no identification, he was sent to county jail, but charges were later dismissed.

A 50-year-old man who was caught stealing a VHS tape at Streetlight Records by a store worker on Sunday, Aug. 27, at 5:40 p.m., was cited for theft and ordered to appear in court Sept. 28.

Prostitute Reports Rape

A woman who admitted she was a prostitute reported to police on Aug. 24 that she had been raped and robbed at knifepoint on Saturday, July 22, at 1 a.m., in a car parked on Hill Street between Church and Sanchez streets. She said the man who raped her had initially agreed to pay her for sex.

The woman told police about the crime after speaking with two other female prostitutes who claimed the same man had also robbed and raped them. The suspect was described as a 25-year-old Asian male, 5-feet-4, with black hair balding on top and a pockmarked face.

Incident on the 48 Bus

A 13-year-old girl reported that she was groped by a 30-year-old man while riding the 48-Quintara bus on Wednesday, Aug. 30, at 9 a.m. The girl immediately exited the bus and reported the crime to her school. The suspect was described as a Hispanic male, 5-feet-10, 150 pounds, with curly black hair. He was wearing a gray hooded sweatshirt and black sweatpants.

Two Duke It Out

Two independent witnesses saw two men in a fist fight at 24th and Dolores streets on Thursday, Aug. 24, at 6 p.m. After the 30-year-old knocked the 40-year-old to the ground, he allegedly jumped onto the older man and hit him repeatedly. The younger man then fled east on Dolores to Fair Oaks Street. The remaining combatant told Officer Eddie Wu that he and the suspect were riding the 48 bus when the younger man demanded repayment of a debt. Both men exited the bus and began a verbal argument, which escalated to a physical one.

25 Years of Women on Patrol

I had the distinct joy of attending the three events honoring San Francisco's women on patrol that I mentioned in last month's Voice. I wore my Class A (dress) uniform to the City Hall Rotunda on Sept. 6, to hear the mayor proclaim 25 years of contributions by women in the S.F.P.D. A few days later, I donned my official anniversary T-shirt for a barbecue and block party near the Hall of Justice, followed by a trip to Pac Bell Park to watch the Giants beat the Padres.

More than 800 of us then capped off the celebration with a gala dinner dance Sept. 15 at the Westin St. Francis, hosted by the ever raucous, yet always gracious Sharon Stone. (You probably read about her baudy speech a few days later in Matier & Ross's column in the Chronicle.)

At the party, Lieutenant Barbara Davis-Regan presented Ms. Stone with several mementos: an anniversary polo shirt, a police jumpsuit for her 4-month-old (I'm sure Mom and Dad will hold on to the whistle, baton, and handcuffs), and a gold-braided police duty hat, which she looked rather commanding wearing. We danced the night away, at least until 1 a.m., to the music of Dick Bright's SRO.

For all you fashion buffs, I wore a black beaded and sequined dress, while my partner Heather wore a black silk sheath, with her hair in a French twist. My beat partner, Officer Lorraine Lombardo, wore a black and white tuxedo gown. How grand!

The Big News

The dinner dance was also the place where Heather and I shared some very exciting news -- we're having a baby! I'll be over four months pregnant by the time you read this, and I'll also be off the street, assigned to an inside (read: desk) job, while moving toward my mid-March due date. With Captain Ron Roth's support, my goal will be to remain connected to the neighborhood by doing "inside beat work," which includes the community phone line at Mission Station, and my Noe Valley Voice column.

I will miss my bicycle patrol and my direct connection to the residents. However, Officer Lombardo will still walk the beat, and the captain will shortly assign another officer to Noe Valley.

Let's continue to watch out for one another, and Lorraine will see you on patrol!

San Francisco Police Officer Lois Perillo keeps tabs on crime from Valencia to Grand View and 21st to Cesar Chavez Street. If you would like to discuss a crime or safety problem, call her at 558-5404, the community policing line at Mission Station, 630 Valencia St.