Noe Valley Voice September 2008
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Crime Beat

Report from Mission Station

By Officer Jane Warner
San Francisco Patrol Special Police

The following crime summaries were culled from reports filed at Mission Police Station. They cover some but not all incidents occurring in northern Noe Valley, which is loosely defined as the area bordered by Grand View, 20th, Guerrero, and Cesar Chavez streets. Incidents occurred during the period May 23 to July 31, 2008.

False Impersonation to Receive Money, 4200 block of 22nd Street, May 23, 1:45 a.m. (reported): A woman was surprised to find a bill in her mail from Ikea department store in her name for over $1,700. A day later, another bill arrived from AT&T with a balance of $42. The woman called both creditors and told them that she had never opened accounts with the two stores. Both stores sent her fraud packets to fill out and advised her to file a police report. There are no known suspects.

Robbery with Gun, 4000 block of 26th St., May 29, 7:30 p.m.: After baby-sitting her grandson all day, a 56-year-old woman left her daughter's house and started to walk home northbound on Sanchez Street. As she got halfway up the hill near 26th Street, she noticed that a strange man was walking toward her. The man reached out as he walked by and grabbed the woman's shoulder bag. "Give me your purse," he demanded. The woman held on and a tug of war ensued. "Can I just give you my money?" the woman pleaded. The suspect, described as Hispanic, 16 to 24 years old, continued to pull on the bag, causing the woman to lose her balance and fall to the ground. When she looked up, she saw that the robber was holding a black semi-automatic handgun. Fearing for her life, the woman let go of the handbag; the robber grabbed it and fled east on 26th Street. The woman watched as the gunman got into a tan four-door Toyota driven by a second man, who sped off, continuing on 26th Street. Lost in the robbery was the woman's purse, cell phone, several credit cards, numerous medications, and $42. She was not seriously injured during the assault.

Burglary, Douglass & Elizabeth, June 23, 4:08 p.m.: Three women came into the dry cleaners on the corner of Douglass and Elizabeth streets and asked the clerk if they could get alterations done for some skirts. The employee looked over the plaid skirts they were carrying and said that it could be done, but not that day. One of the women said they needed the alterations completed that day and engaged the clerk in conversation, writing her name down on a piece of paper so the clerk could call if she got time. The three women then left the store with the skirts in hand. About an hour later, the clerk noticed that her purse was missing from behind the counter. The purse, a brown leather handbag, contained miscellaneous ID and $800 in cash. The officer called the number left by the suspect but it had been disconnected.

Burglary, 3800 block of 24th St., July 3, 5:52 p.m.: After working all day, a man returned home, put his key into the lock of the front door, and was surprised when the door swung open. The man walked into his home and immediately saw that two laptops he had left on top of his bed charging were missing. He called his roommate and asked if he had moved the computers. The roomy informed him he had not, and asked him to check his bedroom. The man did so and found that another laptop was missing, as well as a digital computer. The man called police and reported that they had been having problems lately with the front door not closing properly. There were no known suspects.

Found Property, Vicksburg at Elizabeth, July 5, 10:38 p.m.: A sergeant on routine patrol observed a blue Honda Civic idling on the corner of the street. The car's windows were rolled up and the doors were locked; however, no one was inside. The sergeant radioed in the license number of the vehicle, which had not been reported stolen, and was able to retrieve the residential phone number of the registered owner. Dispatch called the Daly City residence, but no one answered. The sergeant entered the vehicle with the help of a Slim Jim lock pick and turned off the engine, leaving a note on the windshield stating the keys would be at Mission Station.

Theft from Locked Vehicle, Liberty & Church, July 13, 11:50 a.m. (reported): A woman parked and locked her car on the corner of Liberty and Church streets at 2:30 in the morning. When she returned later that same morning, she discovered that the passenger window had been smashed and the contents of the car rummaged through. After taking inventory, the woman found that her cell phone, house keys, several CDs, and a pair of black Ralph Lauren sunglasses valued at $160 were missing. There were no known suspects.

Theft from Locked Vehicle, 23rd & Vicksburg, July 20, 9:50 a.m. (reported): A man left his new Dodge Caravan parked on the corner of 23rd and Vicksburg, locked and secured it, and left it overnight. When he returned the next morning, he noticed the front passenger side window had been smashed. Taking inventory, the man saw that the contents of the van had been rummaged through, the glove box was open, and papers and tapes had been gone over. The man also discovered that the GPS, valued at $360, was missing. There are no known suspects.

Suspicious Occurrence, 500 block of Alvarado St., July 20, 10:28 a.m. (reported): While leaving for work, a man noticed that the window in his front door had been broken. The man called the police and told responding officers that he and his wife had slept all night and had not heard anything. The man also told officers that it didn't appear anything was missing. Officers talked to several people in the neighborhood and asked if they had heard or seen anything suspicious the night before. One neighbor told officers that he had called 911 after hearing a loud bomb-like noise at about four o'clock in the morning. Officers checked the computer and saw that responding officers had determined that the loud noise was fireworks.

Theft from locked Vehicle, 27th & Dolores, July 23, 7:26 p.m. (reported): A man parked his 1991 Toyota Corolla on the corner. When he returned in the evening, he saw that the right rear wing window was smashed and his vehicle had been broken into. The contents of the car had been rummaged through, and missing was the man's CD player and iPod. For no apparent reason, the suspect had ripped the dashboard and damaged the center armrest.

Burglary, 3700 block of 21st St., July 24, 7:48 p.m. (reported): After being gone all day at work, a woman came home to find the deadbolt to the front door of her house unlocked. Suspicious, she went inside and discovered her house had been ransacked and that a laptop computer, several pieces of jewelry, a Swiss Army knife, and a backpack were missing. The woman called the police and told responding officers she thought the suspect gained entry through a window she left open for her cat in the back yard.

Burglary, 1300 block of Douglass St., July 26, 2:42 a.m.: While sleeping in his bed, a man heard his garage door open. Alarmed, he went to investigate and found that the garage door was closed and the garage was empty. Thinking the intruder might be inside the house, the man turned on the lights and searched the house, but found no one. The resident discovered that a bedroom window was open and that the screen to that window was lying in some bushes below. Nothing appeared missing from the house. The victim called police and reported the incident.

Robbery, Unit block of Alvarado, July 31, 2:30 a.m.: While standing in front of his house, a man was approached by two men and a woman. "Are you a Norteño gang member?" one of the men asked. The resident told him no. The suspects rifled through his pockets. A neighbor came out of his house to see what the commotion was about, and the assailants took off running. The victim didn't call the police because he didn't think anything was taken. It wasn't until the next morning that he realized his wallet was missing and filed a report with Mission Station. The suspects are described as Hispanic, all in their early 20s. There was no further description.

Report from Ingleside Station

Ingleside Police Captain Denis O'Leary offers the Voice a monthly crime log for Upper Noe Valley, an area roughly bordered by Cesar Chavez, Guerrero, 30th, and Diamond streets. This month's log covers incidents reported to Ingleside Station from July 16 to Aug. 15, 2008. If you would like to receive Capt. O'Leary's weekly e-mail newsletter, send an e-mail to InglesideStationNewsletter-subscribe@yahoogroups.com. You can also view updates and get information online at www.sfgov.org/police.

UPPER NOE VALLEY CRIME LOG
Capt. Denis O'Leary's Incident Report for July 16 to Aug. 15, 2008

Vandalism to Parked Car, 300 block of Valley St., July 18, 6:35 p.m.

Robbery with Gun, 1600 block of Guerrero St., July 18, 10:15 p.m.

Auto Burglary, 27th & Dolores, July 22, 7 p.m.

Vandalism to Parked Car, 100 block of Valley St., July 25, 11 p.m.

Battery, 1600 block of Guerrero St., July 27, 4 p.m.

Disorderly Conduct, 1600 block of Church St., July 28, 6:30 p.m.: Officer Park investigated a family fight and arrested a 47-year-old Upper Noe Valley man for being drunk in public. Case #080794160.

Vandalism to Parked Car, 1600 block of Church St., Aug. 1, 6:30 a.m.

DUI, Duncan & Dolores, Aug. 4, 12:30 a.m.: Officer Neill investigated an argument between two motorists and arrested a 32-year-old Sunset District man for driving under the influence. Case #080818061.

Residential Burglary, 1400 block of Dolores St., Aug. 4, 2:45 a.m.: Occurred between Aug. 3 and 4. Suspect forced entry via a bathroom window while the victim was at home. Cash and jewelry taken.

Auto Burglary, 27th & Noe, Aug. 5, 10 p.m.

Strong-Arm Robbery, Church & Duncan, Aug. 6, 9:35 p.m.: A 25-year-old Haight District woman struggled for control of her purse when another woman tried to take it. The robber succeeded in taking the purse and fled in a silver two-door Mazda.

Auto Burglary, 1500 block of Noe St., Aug. 7, 9 a.m.

'00 Chrysler Recovered, 500 block of 30th St., Aug. 8, 8:30 a.m.

Auto Burglary, 1600 block of Guerrero St., Aug. 9, 12 a.m.

Property Dispute (threats made), 1500 block of Dolores St., Aug. 9, 8:45 a.m.

Warrant Arrest, 1700 block of Diamond St., Aug. 13, 9 a.m.

Battery, 27th & Noe, Aug. 13, 12:30 p.m.

Traffic Collision, 30th & Dolores, Aug. 13, 4 p.m.: Counter reports by both parties claiming the other driver failed to stop at scene.

Stolen Vehicle, 30th & Dolores, Aug. 13, 11 a.m.

Residential Burglary, 500 block of 29th St., Aug. 13, 10 p.m.

Residential Burglary, 500 block of 29th St., Aug. 15, 11:40 p.m.: Occurred between Aug. 13 and 15. No forced entry found. Bicycle taken from common area of building's garage.

Fraud Case, 500 block of Valley St., Aug. 15, 10 a.m.

Noe's Police Districts

Noe Valley falls under the wing of two San Francisco police districts: Mission and Ingleside. Mission police cover the northern half of the neighborhood, including 24th Street, and Ingleside police the southern half, starting at Cesar Chavez Street.

Both districts hold monthly meetings that are open to the public. Mission Police District's community meetings are held on the last Tuesday of the month, at 6 p.m., at Mission Station, 630 Valencia Street near 17th Street. Ingleside's community meetings take place on the third Tuesday of the month, 7 p.m., at Ingleside Police Station off Balboa Park at San Jose Avenue.

For further information, go to www.sfgov.org/police. You can also find crime data, sorted by zip code, at www.CrimeReports.com. The SFPD started contributing data in July.

To report a crime in progress, call 911. For non-emergencies, call 553-0123.