Police Blotter

Homicide: Sept. 16, Midnight, Geary Boulevard and Third Avenue
Several party-goers standing in the area of Geary Boulevard and Third Avenue were saving a parking space for a friend who was enroute to the party. A van containing several males drove up vying for the same parking space, resulting in an argument.

The victim drove up during the argument and stepped between his friend and the driver of the van. A fight ensued. The occupants of the van ran back to their vehicle and drove down Geary, leaving the victim stumbling back to his car.

One of the witnesses discovered that the victim was stabbed in the chest. He was transported to SF General Hospital, where he was pronounced dead from his wounds.

Police communications broadcast a description of the suspect's vehicle, as well as a description of the suspects. Several hours after the incident, police officers in the Tenderloin stopped the suspect van on Leavenworth Street and took one of the suspects into custody. He was booked on a homicide charge.

Robbery with Force, Aggravated Assault, Battery with Serious Injuries: Sept. 7, 8:10 p.m., Music Concourse on Tea Garden Drive in Golden Gate Park
A 34-year-old woman was walking home from work through Golden Gate Park when three female juveniles attacked her for her backpack near the bandshell. The suspects started hitting the woman in the head, one with a bottle.

"Let go of it b___," one of the suspects yelled during the struggle.

The victim, despite being knocked to the ground, resisted her attackers and started yelling for help. During the attack, the victim let go of a cell phone she had in her hand. She said she feared for her life and that the cell phone possibly saved her from more serious harm. The suspects, who fled the scene, never got the backpack.

The victim borrowed a cell phone from a bystander and called the police. Officers were given a description of the suspects, who were discovered at Martin Luther King Jr. and Crossover drives. The officers brought the victim to where the suspects were being held and she positively identified the three girls as the ones who had attacked her.

The victim was treated by paramedics for cuts and contusions at Richmond Station. The counselor/guardian of the three juveniles was notified of the incident and the suspects were transported to the Youth Guidance Center for booking.

Reckless Driving, Warrant Arrest, Evading a Police Officer: Sept. 3, 6:20 p.m., Turk Street and Willard North
Two officers in a marked police vehicle traveling westbound on Turk Street were about to make a turn onto Willard North when they spotted a man sitting in a van. When the officers passed, the man waved.

One of the officers noticed that the tab on the vehicle's license plate was not visible because it had been mostly scratched off.

The man in the van drove off, with the officers in pursuit. When the officers first tried to pull the vehicle over, the driver appeared to be complying. But, suddenly, the man sped off, swerving in and out of traffic and narrowly missing several vehicles and pedestrians. At Fulton Street and Sixth Avenue, the officers lost sight of the suspect, but a concerned citizen pointed out the way. The officers, who noticed tire marks indicating a high speed turn, took the citizen's advice and turned.

At Cabrillo Street and Fifth Avenue, the abandoned van was discovered. Another citizen at the scene said he saw the man running northbound on Fifth Avenue. A second group of officers, who were responding to the scene, discovered the 40-year-old suspect hiding in a carport in the middle of the block.

Because the van did not have a valid registration or proof of insurance, it was towed to Pier 70.

The suspect was taken into custody and transported to Richmond Station for booking.

Bank Robbery: Sept. 19, 11:26 a.m., 3500 Block of Geary Boulevard
A young male entered a bank on Geary Boulevard and walked up to one of the tellers. He then opened a binder and instructed the bank teller to read a note, which advised the teller that a robbery was underway.

The teller gave the suspect some money and he fled on foot in a unknown direction. The suspect was wearing a white baseball cap, white T-shirt and black, baggy pants at the time of the robbery.

The bank was empty at the time of the crime, with the exception of a few employees. A search for the suspect was to no avail.

Robbery, Purse Snatch: Sept. 22, 4:15 p.m., Geary Boulevard and Sixth Avenue
Two females were seated near the rear of a Muni #38 line bus. As they approached the corner of Sixth Avenue and Geary, a female suspect on the bus grabbed the victim's purse from her lap and ran out the rear door.

The suspect was described as a young female, approximately 20 to 25 years old, and wearing a black baggy shirt and blue jeans. Officers were unable to locate the suspect.

Warrant Arrest: Sept. 15, 7:25 p.m., Anza Street and Rossi Avenue
A man was walking down the street with a large red tool box. When he saw two undercover officers checking him out, he tried to hide the box under his shirt. Because the 49-year-old suspect illegally crossed the street at Anza Street and Rossi Avenue, the suspect was stopped.

The suspect, who said he found the tool box, gave officers his identification card. It showed an outstanding warrant for the man's arrest.

Officers advised the suspect about safely crossing the street and booked him for the outstanding warrant.

Residential Burglary: Sept. 18, 11 p.m., 500 Block of Euclid Avenue
A Laurel Heights resident was awakened by noise coming from his downstairs living room. Believing the person making the noise was his wife, who was due to return from a trip, he yelled out, "Honey, is that you?"

The suspect responded back in a high-pitched voice, "Yes."

Several minutes later, the victim heard the door close and thought his wife had stepped out of the house. He went back to sleep.

The next morning, the victim discovered that the doggie door in the rear of the house was kicked in and several dresser drawers were pulled opened. Discovered missing were a laptop computer and a wallet, containing various credit cards.