Noe Valley Voice October 2001
RETURN TO HOME PAGE
FEEDBACK

Police Beat

By Kathy Dalle-Molle

The following crime summaries were culled from incident reports filed at Mission Police Station from Aug. 6 to Aug. 25, 2001.

Grand Theft: 1:30 p.m. on Aug. 6; 4200 block of 24th Street

The owner of a pet store on 24th Street told police she was standing near the front of the store on the afternoon of Monday, Aug. 6, when a man, 6 feet in height, weighing 170 pounds, aged 25 to 30, ran from the rear of the store, where the birds are kept, and out the front door. Given the man's suspicious behavior, the owner took a count of the birds and determined that an African Gray Parrot was missing. The owner then ran outside to see if she could spot the suspect, but he was already gone.

A witness later told police that he saw the suspect running from the store with a bulge under his shirt and that "part of a bird" appeared to be sticking out. He also heard the bird squawking.

The witness saw the suspect get into a black Camaro and drive eastbound on 24th Street toward Castro. Police searched the area, but were unable to find the suspect.

Theft of Checks or Credit Cards: Between 2:30 p.m. on Aug. 6 and 2 p.m. on Aug. 11; 4000 block of 26th Street

A resident of a home on 26th Street near Sanchez decided to have a local bed-and-breakfast rent out an apartment in her home when she was out of town in early August. The B&B found a 30-year-old male tenant, who agreed to rent the apartment for five days.

Upon her return home, the resident found that the suspect had opened her mail and broken into a file cabinet containing other personal records. The suspect had also scattered papers throughout the apartment, and damaged her rug and light fixtures. He also had left traces of hair dye on her floors.

Later, the resident received a call from a credit card representative inquiring about an attempt to charge $1,000 to her account. She told the representative the charge was not hers. The representative went on to inform her of other suspicious charges, which the resident also denied.

Meanwhile, a neighbor the resident had asked to feed her cat while she was away told the resident that the tenant had invited "a street-type" male guest to spend the night. The neighbor provided a description of the suspect and his guest.

The case has been assigned to the Police Department's Fraud Unit.

Burglary and Unlawful Entry: 5:05 a.m. on Aug. 8; 4100 block of 26th Street

The resident of an apartment building on 26th Street near Noe told police he was asleep on his bed in the early morning hours of Wednesday, Aug. 8, when he was awakened by a noise coming from a couch near his bed. He saw an unknown man, dressed in a long-sleeved dark T-shirt with white lettering, crouched near the couch. The suspect appeared to be looking for something. The resident jumped out of bed and ran out of the building to call police.

Upon arrival, police searched the apartment but failed to locate the suspect. They later determined that the suspect entered the apartment through an unlocked rear door. No items appeared to be stolen.

Malicious Mischief and Vandalism to Property: Between 10 p.m. on Aug. 24 and 10 a.m. on Aug. 25; 24th Street and environs

A graffiti vandal, who has adopted the nickname "Mayhem," went on a spray-painting spree on the night of Friday, Aug. 24, placing his tag on many properties in Noe Valley. Apartment buildings, stores, and restaurants along 24th Street were tagged, along with spots at Noe Courts Park. The vandal spray-painted his tag in white and black paint on the planter box in front of one restaurant and left a green insignia on the side of an apartment building on Douglass Street.

According to Police Officer Lois Perillo of San Francisco's Graffiti Abatement Program, police have not yet identified the "Mayhem" suspect, who also left his tag at the Forest Hill Muni Station near the Youth Guidance Center.

Merchants and residents should report any graffiti problems directly to the Graffiti Abatement Program by phoning 558-5445. People also may report incidents online by logging on to www. greatestgraffiti.com. M

Police Contacts

The Voice thanks Noe Valley Police Officer Lorraine Lombardo for providing the incident reports for this month's Police Beat. Officer Lombardo, along with Mission Station Captain Ron Roth, encourages Noe Valley residents and merchants to attend the police-community meeting held the last Tuesday of the month at Mission Station, 630 Valencia Street. The next meeting is Oct. 30 at 6 p.m.

Mission Police Station covers the northern half of Noe Valley, from 21st Street to Cesar Chavez. Residents are welcome to call the station at 558-5400 or send e-mail to sfpdmissionstation@ ci.sf.ca.us. To report anonymously on drugs, gangs, or other crime, call the non-traceable police hotline at 558-5452.

Those Noe Valleyans who live south of Cesar Chavez fall within the Ingleside Police District. Ingleside community meetings are held on the third Tuesday of the month at Ingleside Station, 1 Sergeant John Young Lane, off San Jose Avenue. The next meeting is set for Oct. 16 at 7 p.m. To contact Ingleside Station, call Captain Marsha Ashe at 404-4000 or e-mail marsha-ashe@ci.sf.ca.us.

To report a crime in progress, call 911. (Cell phone users should dial 553-8090.)