Police Blotter
Fire: Jan. 27, 1:45 a.m., Golden Gate Park
Officers responded to a call of a fire near Stow Lake in Golden Gate Park. Firefighters had arrived first and extinguished the fire, which was inside of a metal garbage can.
The fire was caused by a homeless man who was trying to dry off his clothing and sleeping bag. He was released at the scene.
Broken Property: Jan. 23, 7:15 p.m., 3600 Block of Taraval Street
Officers responded to a convenience store when a man called to say he was assaulted.
When officers arrived, they determined that the caller was a customer in the store who was trying to get some ice cream out of a freezer when the handle on the freezer's door broke.
The owner yelled at the 29-year-old man, who was with his girlfriend, and then pushed him out the front door.
Because he was uninjured, the victim did not press charges against the store owner. The owner, likewise, refused to press charges against the man who broke the door.
During the investigation, officers determined the man who broke the handle had an outstanding $20,000 felony warrant for his arrest in Santa Clara County.
The man was booked at Taraval Station for the outstanding warrant.
Marijuana Seizure: Jan. 23, 1800 Block of 28th Avenue
Police officers, acting on a tip, spent two weeks investigating a suspected marijuana growing operation.
When they made contact with one of the residents at the property, he admitted growing marijuana and offered to show paperwork authorizing he, and his girlfriend, to grow the plants legally.
Both residents agreed to allow officers to search the property, where they discovered 90 plants, a "significant" quantity of hashish, $1,500 and equipment necessary for a large growing operation.
The residents could not produce documentation that would allow such a large growing operation so they were booked for cultivating and possessing marijuana for sale.
Auto Burglary, Possession of Stolen Property: Jan. 23, 7:30 a.m., 23rd Avenue and Quintara Street
A call came into dispatch concerning a man who was looking into parked vehicles with a flashlight. The witness gave a complete description of the suspect, who was located and detained within minutes.
The officers on the scene recognized the man as a suspect in several vehicle break-ins in the district. After determining that the 39-year-old man was on parole with a search condition, officers searched the suspect and discovered several cell phones, two iPods, two GPS devices, a camera, Nordstrom gift card, numerous pairs of sunglasses and a flashlight.
The officers canvassed the area and were able to locate three separate victims of auto burglaries who were able to identify their property among that which the suspect had in his possession.
The suspect was transported to the police station and booked on multiple counts.
Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol: Jan. 22, 1:30 a.m., Lake Merced
Two 19-year-old women were on their way home from a night of celebrating the driver's birthday when the driver lost control of the vehicle at a high rate of speed and rolled the vehicle down a 50-foot embankment at Lake Merced.
Both women were transported to SF General Hospital but escaped major injuries.
A follow-up investigation revealed the driver's blood/alcohol level as being twice the legal limit.
The driver was cited and released to hospital staff for treatment.
Auto Burglary: Jan. 2, 4:30 p.m., Golden Gate Park
A report came in to dispatch concerning two suspects who had just broken into a vehicle parked near the Academy of Sciences.
With a description of the suspects provided by the witness, officers were able to locate one of the suspects at Clement Street and Second Avenue.
The 39-year-old male was transported to the police station and booked.