Police Beat

Police Beat is a monthly roundup of crimes and other police incidents in Noe Valley, defined as the area bordered by Grand View, 21st, Fair Oaks, and 30th streets. The following crime summaries were culled from incident reports filed at Mission and Ingleside police stations during January 2003.
Burglary of Flat: Between 6 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 28, and 7 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 6; 1000 block of Noe Street
The residents of a flat in the 1000 block of Noe near 23rd Street returned home on Monday, Jan. 6, after being out of town since Dec. 28. Four days after their return, they noticed that their Dell laptop computer and Canon camera were missing from a bedroom. The residents then spoke to a neighbor who told them that he had noticed an open window in an unlocked corridor between their two flats. The neighbor closed the window, assuming the residents had left it open by mistake. The neighbor said the screen from the window was lying on the floor of the corridor and that he also had moved it out of the way. He also noticed that the security light in the corridor had been unscrewed.
When police arrived, they discovered a black shoeprint on the inside step leading to a back door. The residents noted the back door had been open when they returned home Jan. 6. Police believe the suspect entered through the window in the corridor and exited through the back door. Crime Scene Investigations was called for follow-up. The case has been assigned to the SFPD's Burglary Detail.
Street Robbery with Knife: 11:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 1; 29th and Sanchez streets
At 11:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 1, a man was walking his pitbull puppy along 29th Street near Sanchez when he heard two men talking loudly behind him. One of the men approached him and said in an angry tone, "You're the guy who's been scratching my car and kicking my dog." He then pulled out a knife and swung it toward the man's midsection. To avoid being cut, the man stepped back and dropped the dog's leash. The man with the knife then picked up the leash and walked west on 29th Street with the puppy.
The victim ran to his nearby home, but waited until noon the next day to report the incident to police because he was "in shock and shaking." Police provided the man with a case number and advised him to call immediately if he saw the man and/or his dog again. Police also searched the area, but did not find either the suspect or the dog. (The puppy has since been found and returned to its owner.)
Store Burglary: Between 8 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 2, and 8:30 a.m. on Friday, Jan. 3; 3800 block of 24th Street
The owner of a grocery store in the 3800 block of 24th Street left her shop at 8 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 2. When she returned the next morning, she discovered that $350 was missing from the cash register, along with $800 worth of phone cards. She also discovered a blue knit cap on a shelf near the register, which police booked as evidence. Pry marks were found on the store's rear door. Crime Scene Investigations was called to take fingerprints. The case has been assigned to the SFPD's Burglary Detail.
Store Burglary: 1:04 a.m. on Friday, Jan. 3; 3700 block of 24th Street
A resident of an apartment building across the street from a grocery store in the 3700 block of 24th Street called police to report a burglary in progress inside the store. At 1:04 a.m., he saw a man who appeared to be a homeless person sitting with another man in front of the store. The first man stood up, faced the glass door, and threw a brick, breaking the glass. When the door broke, the other man fled. The first man then entered the store and went to the liquor shelves and scooped up several bottles, which fell to the floor.
A few minutes later, as he was calling police, the resident saw the suspect leave the store. When police arrived, they found a blanket and a brick on the ground in front of the door. The displays near the cash register were disheveled, and packs of cigarettes and bottles of alcohol were scattered on the floor. When the owner of the store arrived, he told police that two bottles of vodka were missing, along with 60 packs of cigarettes.
As the officers at the scene waited for additional assistance, they noticed the suspect walking toward them. After he was stopped by police at the corner of 24th and Chattanooga streets, the man was positively identified by the witness. The suspect, a 48-year-old male, was read his rights, and booked at Mission Station.
Burglary of Apartment House: Between 4 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 4, and 7:45 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 6; and between 8 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 6; 1600 block of Noe Street
The resident of an apartment building in the 1600 block of Noe Street near 29th left his home at 8 a.m. on Monday, Jan. 6, with the windows and doors locked. While searching for a parking space upon his return home at 6:30 p.m., he drove by his building and noticed a man he had never seen before walking out of the building's side door. The man was carrying a power-tool case. The man then began walking north on Noe toward 29th Street. The resident followed the suspect for half a block and then went to his residence to see if his apartment had been burglarized. He found his back door unlocked and a power drill missing from his kitchen closet.
Police responded to the scene and searched the rear of the building. They found the rear door of another apartment also unlocked and conducted a search of the apartment. Nothing appeared disturbed. They continued to search the rear of the building and found yet another back door to an apartment unlocked. Police requested that Crime Scene Investigations respond to the apartment building to locate any possible fingerprints.
About an hour later, at 7:45 p.m., a resident of one of the apartments that had been broken into came home after being gone for two days. Alerted by her neighbor to the break-ins, she checked her residence for any missing items, and discovered that two watches and several pieces of jewelry were missing from her bedroom. She also noticed that the sensor light on her back porch had been unscrewed. The case has been assigned to the SFPD's Burglary Detail.
Burglary of Flat: Between 4:30 and 11:55 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 4; 1000 block of Sanchez Street
A resident of Sanchez Street near 23rd returned home a little before midnight on Saturday, Jan. 4, and noticed that the deadbolt on his front door was on, even though he never uses that lock. Upon entering the home, he saw that the back door in his kitchen, a window in the bedroom, and a door leading to his garage were open. In addition, the garage door was locked from the inside, and a Sony laptop computer, a Pentax camera, and a diamond ring were missing from the home. Crime Scene Investigations was called for follow-up, and the case has been assigned to the SFPD's Burglary Detail.
Burglary of Apartment House: Between 1 and 3:15 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 9; 1500 block of Church Street
At 1 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 9, the resident of an apartment in the 1500 block of Church Street near 27th left her apartment with all her windows and doors locked. When she returned two hours later, she found the front entrance to the building closed but not locked, and her front door wide open. Several items were missing from the home, including a Canon camera, a wooden chest filled with clothes, 100 CDs, a Panasonic CD player, and a pedometer.
Upon their arrival, police took note of surfaces the suspect could have touched. They called Crime Scene Investigations and advised the resident not to touch anything until CSI arrived. The case was assigned to the SFPD's Burglary Detail.
Petty Theft: 1:40 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 10; 1500 block of Dolores Street
At 1:40 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 10, a man was having coffee at a local café when he noticed two male teenagers walking north on Dolores Street near 28th. He saw one of the teens take a parcel from the front stoop of a home in the 1500 block of Dolores Street. The man came out of the café and told the teen to return the package. The teen ignored the man and began walking west on Valley Street. The man called 911 and watched where the teen was going until police arrived.
Police detained the youth at the corner of Valley and Sanchez streets. The teen was read his rights and admitted to taking the package. He told police he had hid it under a bush in front of a home in the 1500 block of Sanchez Street. Police transported the youth to Ingleside Station, cited him for petty theft, and called his father to pick him up. The case has been assigned to the SFPD's Juvenile Division.
Store Burglary: Between 6 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 12, and 9 a.m. on Monday, Jan. 13; 3900 block of 24th Street
The owner of a candy store in the 3900 block of 24th Street closed his shop at 6 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 12. When he returned at 9 a.m. the next day, he found the rear door to the store open. He then discovered that $250 was missing from the cash register. He also found the small refrigerator behind the counter open and several items on the counter moved around. Crime Scene Investigations was called to the store. The case has been assigned to the SFPD's Burglary Detail.
Residential Burglary: Between 7:45 a.m. and 6:45 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 14; 300 block of 27th Street
Two residents of a home in the 300 block of 27th Street near Church left their home at 7:45 a.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 14. When the residents returned that evening, they discovered that their jewelry boxes had been placed on their beds and that several pieces, including a watch, five rings, two bracelets, and 10 pairs of earrings, were missing. Nothing else was taken from the home.
The residents told police that the front door was locked when they came home, and police observed no signs of forced entry to the front or back doors. In addition, all of the windows were locked. Crime Scene Investigations was not notified because the jewelry boxes had raised textures and the shelves they were on were not smooth enough to raise prints. The case has been assigned to the SFPD's Burglary Detail.
Burglary of Apartment House: Between 8:20 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 17; 500 block of Duncan Street
At 8:20 a.m. on Friday, Jan. 17, a resident of the 500 block of Duncan Street near Noe left his apartment. When he returned home several hours later, he noticed that the back sliding door was open. He went to his bedroom and saw that his closet door was open and that a few pieces of clothing were on his bed. He then discovered that two cameras and a Compaq laptop computer were missing.
Police determined that the back door was the point of entry and exit. The door showed no signs of forced entry. Because the door was dirty and the surfaces from which the items were taken were neither smooth nor clean, Crime Scene Investigations was not called to the home. The case has been assigned to the SFPD's Burglary Detail.
Store Burglary: Between 8:50 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 19, and 12:45 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 20; 3900 block of 24th Street
The owner of a stationery store in the 3900 block of 24th Street left his store at 8:50 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 19. Upon returning at 12:45 p.m. the next day, he discovered the cash register till placed on the shop's counter. The till, which had $200 in cash and coins in it when he left the store on Jan. 19, was now empty. He also noticed that a display counter had been moved away from the wall. He looked behind the counter and found a hole in the wall, leading to a tradesman's entrance alley. He also discovered $400 in cash and coins missing from the bottom drawer of a file cabinet. Crime Scene Investigations was called, and the case has been assigned to the SFPD's Burglary Detail.
Burglary of Apartment House: Between 12:45 and 4:30 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 20; 100 block of 28th Street
The resident of an apartment building in the 100 block of 28th Street near Dolores left his locked home at 12:45 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 20. When he returned four hours later, he discovered that his Hewlett-Packard laptop computer and floppy disk drive were missing. The resident then checked his rear door leading to the backyard and found that the deadbolt was not locked. At the scene, police noticed damage to the rear door's doorjamb. Police called Crime Scene Investigations to follow up. The case has been assigned to the SFPD's Burglary Detail.
Burglary of Apartment House: Between 1 and 3 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 21; 200 block of 29th Street
At 1 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 21, a resident of the 200 block of 29th Street near Dolores locked and left her apartment. When she returned two hours later, her front door was still secure. However, when she walked into her bedroom, she noticed that her jewelry boxes had been emptied and thrown on her bed. The resident told police that she had several pieces of jewelry inside each box and that she was unable to give specific details regarding her losses. Police provided her with a loss form and advised her of the proper follow-up procedures. Police were unable to locate any evidence of forced entry into the apartment and consequently were unable to determine the point of entry and exit. The case has been assigned to the SFPD's Burglary Detail.
Residential Burglary: Between 2:25 and 3:05 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 22; 1500 block of Church Street
At 2:25 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 22, a resident of the 1500 block of Church Street near 27th left her home to pick up her children. When she returned a half hour later, she went into her bedroom and found her jewelry boxes tossed on the bed and several pieces of jewelry missing. She also noticed that her dresser drawers were open and that some of the contents had been removed. She searched the rest of the home and saw that the other rooms had not been disturbed. The resident told police that the rear door that leads to the backyard usually remained closed but unlocked. Police found no signs of forced entry. Crime Scene Investigations was contacted to collect any possible fingerprints. The case has been assigned to the SFPD's Burglary Detail.
Vandalism to Vehicle: Between 2:15 and 3 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 26; 200 block of Day Street
A man parked and locked his black BMW convertible on the 200 block of Day Street near Church at 2:15 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 26. When he returned 45 minutes later, an unknown person had slashed the soft top of his convertible.
Petty Theft: Between 7 and 7:50 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 29; 3900 block of 24th Street
At 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 29, a man went to the liquor aisle of a grocery store in the 3900 block of 24th Street and placed a bottle of Jack Daniels and a bottle of Jim Beam whiskey in a shopping cart. He walked to another aisle and placed the bottles in a blue backpack. He left the store without paying for the two bottles of whiskey, and was stopped by a store security officer. The man was taken to Mission Station for booking. A warrant check revealed that the man had a prior conviction and that he was on parole.
The Voice thanks Mission Police Officer Lorraine Lombardo and Ingleside Police Officer Mike Smith for providing the incident reports for this month's Police Beat. The reports were summarized by Kathy Dalle-Molle.
Your Links to the SFPD
Noe Valley residents and merchants are invited to attend police-community meetings held monthly in the Mission and Ingleside police districts. The next meeting at Mission Station will be Tuesday, March 25, 6 p.m., at 630 Valencia Street near 17th Street. The next Ingleside meeting will be Tuesday, March 18, at 7 p.m., at Ingleside Station, 1 Sgt. John Young Lane, off the 2000 block of San Jose Avenue.
Meanwhile, those who live or work north of Cesar Chavez Street can report recurring problems by phoning Mission Station at 558-5400 or e-mailing Capt. Greg Corrales at gregory_corrales@ ci.sf.ca.us. (To report anonymously on drugs, gangs, or other crimes, call the non-traceable hotline at 558-5452.)
Residents and merchants in "outer" Noe Valley--south of Cesar Chavez--can reach Ingleside Station by calling 404-4000 or e-mailing Capt. Kevin Dillon at kevin_dillon@ci.sf.ca.us.
To report a crime in progress, dial 911. (Cell phone users, call 553-8090.) For non-emergencies, call 553-0123.