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Police Beat is a 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 the month of September, 2003.

Theft of Vehicle: Between 11 a.m. Monday, Sept. 1, and 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 2; 400 block of 29th Street

Someone stole a 1981 gray and burgundy Vespa, model P200, from where it was parked in the 400 block of 29th Street between 11 a.m. Sept. 1 and 7:30 p.m. Sept. 2. The scooter, bearing California license plate number 12V3202, belongs to a 29th Street resident.

Vehicle Tampering: Between 5 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 6, and 9:30 a.m. Monday, Sept. 8; Sanchez and Valley streets

A Sanchez Street resident who had parked her red 1991 Saab 900 near Sanchez and Valley streets at 5 p.m. on Sept. 6 returned the following Monday morning to find her car damaged. The door lock had been tampered with, the driver side seat had been moved, and a 1-inch, red-handled paintbrush was left in the vehicle. When the owner tried to start the car, she discovered a broken-off key in the ignition. The suspect also stole about $5 in coins from the ashtray.

Theft of Vehicle: Between 8 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 6, and 10:30 a.m. Sunday, Sept. 7; Day and Sanchez streets

A green, two-door 2000 Honda Civic was stolen from where it was parked near Day and Sanchez streets sometime between 8 p.m. Sept. 6 and 10:30 a.m. Sept. 7. The car, owned by a 29th Street resident, bears the California license plate 4LFW007.

Burglary, Hot Prowl: Between 1:30 and 5:30 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 7; 3700 block of 21st Street

A woman residing in the 3700 block of 21st Street told police that she and her son left their home around 1:30 p.m. Sept. 7, locking the doors but leaving a couple of back windows unlocked and ajar.

When the pair returned shortly before 5:30 p.m., the woman noticed a jean jacket on top of a box in the back yard, outside a bedroom window. She did not recognize the jacket but brought it inside anyway. She then went upstairs to the kitchen level, where she noticed a window screen removed and lying on the floor. She proceeded upstairs to the third level and noted that her computer--which she had left on--was turned off and the attic door--which she remembered having been open--was closed.

The woman returned to the kitchen level, where she had left her son, and a man appeared at the doorway of her kitchen, in front of a guest bedroom.

The suspect said, "Ma'am, ma'am," and told her that his friends were upstairs.

The woman dialed 911, and the suspect began walking away as the woman called for him to stop. The man exited through the back door and jumped a fence into a neighbor's back yard.

A search of the home by police revealed no other intruders, and no items were missing. However, the woman noticed that the bed in the guest bedroom was messy and two white socks were on the floor. Several of the dresser drawers were open.

The woman told police that she suspected the man was trying to divert attention from himself when he told her that more people were upstairs.

The woman described the suspect as a mixed-race male with curly, mid-neck-length hair. His complexion was dark and pockmarked, and he was thin and frail and walked knock-kneed. The woman said he was wearing burgundy women's heels.

Arson, Vacant Building: 6:08 p.m. Friday, Sept. 12; 300 block of 28th Street

Following a call from a neighbor, a man whose home was under construction in the 300 block of 28th Street arrived at the site to find the wooden shed in his back yard on fire. The man told police that one neighbor had made complaints to the Planning Department about how he was building his house, and that in the past year the premises had been burglarized a half-dozen times. The value of the shed, which contained miscellaneous furniture, magazines, and paint, was yet to be determined.

Burglary, Apartment House: Between 9:50 a.m. and 10:18 p.m. Monday, Sept. 15; 1200 block of Sanchez Street

A man residing in an apartment building in the 1200 block of Sanchez Street received a call about 8 p.m. Sept. 15 from a neighbor telling him that the garage door was open. When the man returned home, the garage door was still open, but nothing was out of place.

The man went upstairs to his apartment and found his front door ajar. He looked through his apartment and discovered the following items missing: a Canon digital camera valued at $500; a Toshiba DVD player valued at $100; an Archos MP3 player valued at $300; a $300 black leather jacket from Banana Republic; a $20 green Sierra Club handbag; and a garage door opener.

The man noticed that his bathroom window was open wider than he had left it and the dust on the sill had been disturbed. He also noticed that a black metal music stand which had been inside the stolen handbag was on the ground.

Police believe the intruder or intruders entered the apartment through the front door. The man told police that none of the deadbolts--on the apartment building door, the apartment door, and the service door--had been secured. One of the responding officers also noted that the police were able to gain access to the front door of the apartment complex using a large strip of plastic.

Theft of Vehicle: Between 3:30 p.m. Monday, Sept. 15, and 9:30 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 16

A silver, two-door 2001 Volkswagen Golf was stolen from where it was parked at 23rd and Church streets sometime between 3:30 p.m. Sept. 15 and 9:30 a.m. the following day. The car bears the California license plate 4PET101 and is owned by a 23rd Street resident.

Theft of Vehicle: Between 7 p.m. Monday, Sept. 15, and 9 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 16; 27th and Douglass streets

Someone stole a white, four-door 1997 Honda Civic LX from where it was parked at 27th and Douglass streets sometime between 3:30 p.m. Sept. 15 and 9 a.m. the following morning. The Georgia license plate reads D67OR and has a daisy sticker on it, and there is an American flag on the bumper. The car belongs to a Douglass Street resident.

Burglary, Residence: Between 1:45 and 5:45 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 16; 800 block of Castro Street

A woman who lives in the 800 block of Castro Street told police that she left her home at 1:45 p.m. on Sept. 16, locking all windows and doors. When she returned several hours later, she discovered that her two Apple Power Book computers--one valued at $2,500, the other at $700--were missing from her office.

Upon a further search of her home, she found that 30 DVDs were missing from the downstairs living room, along with a boom box valued at $40. When she checked her bedroom, the woman found that $10 in coins was missing from the top of her bureau, and two watches were gone from her nightstand.

The woman checked the doors and windows to her home, and they were still secure. Police were unable to determine how the intruder had entered the home.

The woman told police she had recently had construction work done on her home and that someone might have obtained a copy of her key.

Theft from Locked Vehicle: 4:15 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 18; Dolores and 29th streets

A resident of Dolores Street told police that around 4:15 a.m. on Sept. 18, she walked out of her house and saw a man running away who had broken into her father's silver 1991 Mazda Miata. She said the convertible top was ripped and the interior light was damaged.

The thief made off with 60 compact disks, valued at $900; the ashtray from the middle console, valued at $75; a Sony car stereo with a CD player, valued at $200; and a $45 FasTrak transponder.

Burglary, Residence: Between 8:15 a.m. and 6 p.m. Friday, Sept. 19; 400 block of Valley Street

Sometime during the day on Sept. 19, someone broke into a home in the 400 block of Valley Street and stole computer memory valued at $250, a CD burner of indeterminate value, and a computer accelerator card valued at $700.

The suspect had forced open the front gate, breaking the lock and hasp. The intruder then smashed the right bottom corner of the front door window, apparently using a Coleman propane bottle that remained at the scene, and reached inside to unlock the door. Police suspect the person cut his hand in doing so, as drops of blood were discovered in the bedroom and living room. The stereo equipment was turned sideways in the armoire.

Theft from Locked Vehicle: Between 1 and 11 a.m. on Sunday, Sept. 21; Church and 25th streets

An Orange, Calif., resident told police that sometime during the early morning hours of Sunday, Sept. 21, someone broke into his gray 1996 Ford Probe, parked at Church and 25th streets, and damaged the molding on the door. The suspect also took a desktop computer valued at $3,000, which was in the back seat under a blanket and boxes; a cherry and black Yamaha acoustic guitar of indeterminate value; about 100 compact disks valued at about $1,500; a $15 black nylon duffel bag, which was in the trunk; and about $150 worth of comforters and bedding, which had been packed in the duffel bag.

Robbery with Force: 10:05 p.m. Monday, Sept. 22; first block of Valley Street

A 22-year-old woman who lives on Valley Street told police that she was walking toward her home from Dolores Street around 10 p.m. Sept. 22 when she noticed a car driving next to her at a slow pace. When she arrived at her doorstep, the vehicle stopped and a man exited the driver side door.

At first, the woman thought it might be a friend, but the man ran up behind her and began to tug on her purse.

The woman said she instinctively held on to her purse, and the man became angry and ordered her to give it up. The woman said her attacker was a large man and swung her around several times and ended up throwing her into the street.

The woman said she was able to free herself of the purse and the suspect. The man got back into his car and fled eastbound on Valley Street to southbound San Jose Avenue.

Stolen were a purse with "Doggie Bag" printed on the side, valued at $5; a wallet with an elephant printed on it, valued at $10; $60 in cash; a paycheck for $168; a Sony CD player valued at $80; assorted CDs valued at $240; and keys.

Burglary, Residence: Between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 24; 1900 block of Castro Street

On the afternoon of Sept. 24, someone broke into a home in the 1900 block of Castro Street--apparently by breaking a window in the front door--and stole several items.

The woman who lives in the home told police that she never uses her front door, but locked her back door when she left her home around 11 a.m. When she returned several hours later, nothing seemed unusual until she went to check her e-mail and found that her Macintosh G3 and G4 computers were missing.

She went downstairs to check the rest of her home and discovered that her front door window pane was smashed, three $100 bills were missing, a bowl of about $25 in quarters was gone, and a Canon digital camera and digital camera card were missing as well.

The laptop computer was valued at $3,000, the desktop at $1,800, and the camera at $800. Damage to the front door was estimated at $400.

Theft of Vehicle: Between 8:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 27, and 1:30 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 28; Alvarado and Castro streets

Someone stole a black, four-door 1990 BMW 325 from where it was parked at Alvarado and Castro streets during the night of Sept. 27 or the following day. The car is owned by a Castro Street resident and bears the California license plate 2SXF531.

Theft of Vehicle: Between 10 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 27, and 10 a.m. Sunday, Sept. 28; 22nd and Noe streets

The night of Sept. 27, someone stole a red, four-door 1990 Toyota Camry from where it was parked at 22nd and Noe streets. Owned by a resident of Cesar Chavez Street, the car bears the California license plate 2UDM383.

Theft from Locked Vehicle: Between 9 p.m. Monday, Sept. 29, and 8:30 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 30; 300 block of Valley Street

Sometime between 9 p.m. Sept. 29 and 8:30 a.m. the next day, someone smashed the left side and rear windows of a 1996 Astro van and stole a number of tools. Taken were a Sawzall valued at $200; a Hole-Hog valued at $300; a hammer-action drill valued at $300; a screwgun valued at $250; another battery-operated Sawzall valued at $300; a red and gray telephone tone tester in a black case valued at $200; a tool bag containing miscellaneous tools; and a toolbox, also containing miscellaneous tools.

Theft, Purse Snatch: 10:40 p.m. Monday, Sept. 29; Church and 22nd streets

A 32-year-old woman who lives on Chenery Street told police that at 10:40 p.m. on Sept. 29, she was approached by two men when she got off a Muni bus at Church and 22nd streets. One of them yelled profanity at her, and the other grabbed her purse off her shoulder. The suspects then fled northbound on Church Street on foot. The woman was not injured. The brown suede Gap purse itself was valued at $48. It contained a driver license, Visa credit card, and $20 in cash.

The Voice thanks Mission Police Lieutenant Jill Brophy and Ingleside Police Officer Mike Smith for providing the incident reports for this month's Police Beat. The reports were summarized by Suzanne Herel.

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, Nov. 25, 6 p.m., at 630 Valencia Street near 17th Street. The next Ingleside meeting will be Tuesday, Nov. 18, 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 Captain 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 contact Ingleside Station by calling 404-4000 or e-mailing Captain Kevin Dillon at kevin_dillon@ci.sf.ca.us.

To report a crime in progress, call 911. (Cell phone users, dial 553-8090.) To talk to San Francisco police about a non-emergency situation, call 553-0123.