SF News

Women's World Cup Viewing Party at Civic Center Today

The Women's World Cup semi-finals will be broadcast on a giant screen in San Francisco's Civic Center Plaza today, with family-friendly activities, food, and games.
Encouraged by the popularity of last summer's display of the men's World Cup, the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department has been hosting a similar event for the women's tournament.
The event includes games and activities for both children and adults, including mini-soccer games and soccer skills sessions.
Gourmet food trucks from Off the Grid will be parked nearby.
Today's semi-final matches are USA vs. France at 9 a.m. and Sweden vs. Japan at 11:45 a.m. The final match will be held on Sunday and will also be broadcast on the 13-by-17-foot screen in Civic Center Plaza.

Sign up for our weekly newsletter and join the conversation on Facebook.

Pension Reform Battle Heating Up THis Week

Pension reform is a hot topic this week in San Francisco, where two competing plans to address the issue are coming into the spotlight.

On Monday, Public Defender Jeff Adachi dropped off more than 72,000 signatures at the city's elections department to get his pension reform measure on the November ballot.

Today, the Board of Supervisors is set to consider a separate measure being put forth by Mayor Ed Lee and other city officials.

A coalition of city workers and retirees planned to hold a rally prior to today's board meeting to oppose both measures.

Adachi said his measure, which proposes higher pension contributions from city employees and caps on pensions for new employees, among other changes, would save the city more money than the mayor's proposal.

Lee's plan is the result of months of negotiations between city officials and labor and business leaders. The Board of Supervisors will consider it today and will likely vote next week on whether to place the measure on the ballot.

Adachi said today that the 72,640-plus signatures his measure received far exceeded the 46,177 required to get it on the November ballot. The signatures will have to be certified by the Department of Elections within the next 30 days.

He said the number of signatures shows "not only the level of support from voters but their level of awareness."

"They're very concerned about the pension crisis, people are realizing how this affects their lives," Adachi said.

Adachi said he is open to compromise with the other city officials and that he hopes the supervisors today will consider incorporating his proposal into the other measure in order to have "a unitary proposal" rather than two competing initiatives on the ballot.

He said his plan would save the city about $1.25 billion over 10 years, compared to about $750 million in savings from the mayor's plan over the same period. He said a compromise plan he offered last week would fall somewhere in between.

However, if his proposal is not considered by the board, Adachi said he plans to move forward with his measure.

"I'm not interested in kicking the can down the road for a couple of years," he said.

Today's protest prior to the board meeting is organized by a coalition that includes the United Public Workers for Action and the West Bay Retirees chapter of Service Employees International 1021, the city's largest labor union.

The rally was set for 1 p.m., and the Board of Supervisors meeting begins at 2 p.m.

Sign up for our weekly newsletter and join the conversation on Facebook.

Commuters' Opinions Split on Monday's BART Protest

Commuters inconvenienced by rowdy protests at several BART stations in San Francisco on Monday expressed mixed reactions to the demonstrations this morning.

The protesters gathered on the platform of the Civic Center station late Monday afternoon to protest the death of Charles Hill, 45, who was shot at that station by BART police on July 3 during a confrontation in which police said he wielded a knife and a broken bottle as weapons.

Several commuters arriving at the Civic Center station this morning said they left work early on Monday in anticipation of the protest, but others were left waiting on crowded platforms, or forced to take an alternate routes when the Civic Center, Powell Street and 16th Street stations were closed.

Rebecca Hathaway, a 29-year-old case manager from Berkeley, said she first heard of the shooting because of the protests.

"It kind of took me by surprise, I didn't know there was any kind of incident," she said. "I wish they had picked a different time, though I can see why they would when there's traffic."

Erica Kesel, a 35-year-old fundraiser from San Francisco's Mission District, said she understands the protesters' motivations but thinks that their tactics were inappropriate. 

"I don't understand protesting on the platform where people are inconvenienced," she said. "I do understand it's a serious issue but I think there's a more constructive way."

Despite the inconvenience, several commuters expressed support for the demonstrations.

"Civic Center was closed so I had to walk to Powell," said Nate Allbee, a 31-year-old political consultant.

He said, however, that he didn't mind.

"I think it's important that people's voices are heard," he said. "I'm definitely on the side of the protest."

Essie Nelson, a 32-year-old Oakland resident who works at Alcatraz, also said she supports the protests.

"There should be a big protest," Nelson said. "It's ridiculous how they tried to justify that, them being sober and him being drunk. It's going back to a police state in a way."

The BART officers involved in the confrontation were responding to a report of a "wobbly" man on the platform with an open container of alcohol, according to BART.

The protests were organized by No Justice No BART and Oakland for Justice, two groups that came together after the BART police shooting of Oscar Grant in Oakland on Jan. 1, 2009.

Organizers said that because of those shootings and others, they believe that BART police should be disbanded.

The protesters began their demonstration at Civic Center on Monday, then moved around to other stations, which caused the closure of the 16th Street and Powell Stations later in the evening. It at times became rowdy, with a scuffle on a train and a protester climbing atop a train at one point.

One person was arrested by San Francisco police, but BART police made no arrests. 

BART spokesman Linton Johnson criticized the protesters on Monday night. 

"These fringe groups have apparently shown no regard for the work of their fellow citizens and, of course, the customers on the train, the elderly -- all those folks who need Civic Center station open and rely on the station," he said.

Sign up for our weekly newsletter and join the conversation on Facebook.

Tenants Sue City for Its Approval of Parkmerced Project

Tenants of San Francisco's Parkmerced apartments filed a lawsuit against the city on Monday for its approval last month of a plan to add thousands of apartments and demolish others at the complex.

The lawsuit comes after tenants delivered signatures to the city's Department of Elections on Friday for a ballot measure that could nullify the plan, which would add about 5,700 apartments and replace about 1,800 others during the next two to three decades.

Some tenants of Parkmerced, located at 19th and Holloway avenues, say the proposal, approved by the Board of Supervisors last month by a 6-5 vote, would displace them and leave them at risk of losing their rent-controlled housing.

The tenants' groups that filed the lawsuit include the Parkmerced Action Coalition and San Francisco Tomorrow.

Their attorney Stuart Flashman said the groups are making "a two-pronged attack on the city's approval of the project -- one on the legal side and the other on the political side."

Flashman said the lawsuit, filed in San Francisco Superior Court, alleges that the environmental impact report certified by the board was inaccurate and inadequate.

He said the project also contradicts policies and priorities enacted by Proposition M, an initiative approved by voters in 1986 that puts limits on high-rise developments and sets planning priorities that protect affordable housing.

"That was put in place to prevent developers from attempting to take over the city, and running roughshod over existing neighborhoods," he said.

Flashman said the lawsuit also addresses alleged violations of the city's sunshine ordinance because during Planning Commission hearings on the plan, public comment time was reduced from three minutes to one minute per speaker.

During the final board committee hearing on the proposal, Board President David Chiu issued four pages of amendments at the start of the meeting that he said would help protect the rights of Parkmerced tenants.

But Flashman said, "That's the first anybody saw them, and I think that's outrageous."

He said the residents of Parkmerced should have "an opportunity to receive notice of changes to a development agreement that's going to have a tremendous effect on them, and to spring it on them at the last minute is really unfair."

Chiu, who was the swing vote in the 6-5 decision on the plan, defended his vote in a letter posted on his website.

He wrote, "I fully recognize that change is never easy, but Parkmerced strikes the right balance between protecting existing tenants while providing a tremendous opportunity to add much-need housing and community improvements to the west side of the city."

Parkmerced spokesman P.J. Johnston has also said that while many residents will be relocated within the complex, the new apartments will be
built before the old ones are demolished so people will only have to move
once, and the new units will be similar in size and will have the same rent
control status.

But Cathy Lentz, a spokeswoman for the Parkmerced Action Coalition, argued that might not happen if the project changes ownership at some point in the future.

She added, "Who would want to live through 30 years of construction?"

Lentz, who was one of two women who had to be removed from the Board of Supervisors chambers after yelling at supervisors during a contentious hearing at which the board initially approved the plan, said the tenants' actions Friday and Monday mark the beginning of their effort to overturn the project.

"There was a small group of people that started this, and we're slowly moving a mountain," she said.

Sign up for our weekly newsletter and join the conversation on Facebook.

Rally Held for Man Escorted from Flight Due to Saggy Pants

A crowd is expected to gather outside San Francisco City Hall today in support of a man who was removed from a U.S. Airways flight and arrested last month after he allegedly refused to pull up his sagging pants.

Deshon Marman, 20, was arrested on suspicion of battery on a police officer, resisting arrest and trespassing on June 15 after boarding a flight from San Francisco to Albuquerque, N.M., where he is a student and football player at the University of New Mexico.

Marman was instructed by airline crew members several times to pull up his pants to cover his underwear, both before he boarded and while on the plane, according to San Francisco police.

He allegedly refused to do so, and eventually the plane's captain told the other passengers to deplane, ordered Marman to leave the aircraft and then placed him under citizen's arrest for trespassing after he refused to exit, police said.

Marman was escorted off the plane by police and then allegedly resisted officers when they tried to handcuff him. One officer suffered a cut to his hand and a sprained knee in the struggle, according to police.

The San Mateo County District Attorney's Office has not filed charges against Marman, who posted $11,000 bail and was released from jail. The district attorney's office has until the end of the week to decide whether to charge him.

Today's rally is also in support of a resolution that will be introduced at today's Board of Supervisors meeting by Supervisor Malia Cohen, whose district includes the Bayview, where Marman grew up.

The resolution calls for San Francisco to join the local chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People in asking for the case to be dismissed and for a formal apology from U.S. Airways.

The airline released a statement after last month's incident, saying while the company "does not have a specific dress code, we ask our customers to dress in an appropriate manner to ensure the safety and comfort of all of our passengers."

Today's rally was scheduled to start at noon and will precede the 2 p.m. meeting of the Board of Supervisors where Cohen will introduce the resolution.

Sign up for our weekly newsletter and join the conversation on Facebook.

Protestors Shutdown SF BART Stations in Wake of Charles Hill Shooting by BART Police

BART Shutdown by Protestors at Civic Center, Returns to Service

BART service returned to normal Monday night, hours after it was disrupted by protests at several San Francisco BART stations Monday evening. Shortly before the start of the evening commute, close to 100 demonstrators gathered at Civic Center station. BART and San Francisco Municipal Railway service was temporarily suspended at that shared station after the protesters attempted to prevent an East Bay-bound BART train from departing there. The demonstrators then moved between the Powell and 16th Street stations, and the agencies instituted full and partial closures, inconveniencing hundreds of transit riders. The group No Justice, No BART, which organized the protest, said it is demanding that the BART Police Department be disbanded after BART police officers shot and killed a knife-wielding man at the station last week. The group is also demanding that both of the two officers involved in the July 3 shooting of 45-year-old Charles Hill be fired and criminally charged if it is found that the shooting was not justified. The dwindling group of demonstrators took to Market Street just before 7 p.m., marching from Civic Center to Powell Street, where San Francisco police officers blocked about a dozen protesters from traveling up Powell Street. About as many police officers had formed a line to block the protesters' path. After the disruptions, Johnson criticized the demonstrators' actions. "These fringe groups have apparently shown no regard for the work of their fellow citizens and, of course, the customers on the train, the elderly -- all those folks who need Civic Center station open and rely on the station," he said. Johnson said that the station was closed "to maintain safety at an inconvenience to the elderly, the disabled" and all other customers because of the demonstrators' actions. Johnson said that BART police had not made any arrests Monday night. On July 3, Hill wielded a knife and a broken alcohol bottle before BART police shot him on the train platform, Johnson said. BART police said Hill was aggressive and combative and did not comply with orders. One of the officers suffered minor cuts during the confrontation, BART officials said.

BART Police Auditor Will Investigate Charles Hill Shooting

BART's new independent police auditor said Monday that he will conduct a thorough investigation into a recent confrontation at a San Francisco station in which BART police shot and killed a knife-wielding man. Mark T. Smith said his investigation will parallel those also being conducted by the BART and San Francisco police departments and will look at whether officers used the proper tactics and were justified in using force in fatally shooting 45-year-old Charles Hill at the Civic Center station at about 9:45 p.m. on July 3. BART officials said Hill was armed with a knife and a broken bottle that he was wielding as a weapon, was aggressive and combative with officers who attempted to contact him, and did not comply with orders. The officer-involved shooting occurred after Smith, who previously served in police review positions in Los Angeles and Chicago, had been at BART for only a week. BART Director Lynette Sweet, who chairs BART's police review committee, said, "Talk about trial by fire." The independent police auditor's job is a new position that was created in the wake of criticism about the way the transit agency investigated the fatal shooting of passenger Oscar Grant III at the hands of BART police Officer Johannes Mehserle at the Fruitvale station in Oakland on Jan. 1, 2009. Sweet said BART created the police auditor's job and formed an 11-member citizen review board to assure the public that investigations into police actions are conducted with "transparency, integrity and honesty." Sweet said each entity reports directly to the BART Board of Directors, not to each other. She said the auditor reports his findings to the citizen's review board and then to the Board of Directors. The citizen review board can either agree or disagree with the auditor's report and make its own decision whether to accept its recommendations and report its decision to the Board of Directors. Referring to the fatal shooting of Hill, Sweet said, "I'm disappointed we're here today." But Sweet said "the people are not in bad hands" because she is confident that Smith will conduct a fair investigation that is completely separate from the probes being performed by BART and San Francisco police.

 

Man Found Shot Late Monday Night near Alamo Square

A man was found shot to death in San Francisco late Monday night, police said.

Officers responded at 11:22 p.m. to a report of shots fired in the 500 block of Webster Street, several blocks from Alamo Square.

They arrived to find a 20-year-old man who had been shot in the head.

He was pronounced dead at the scene, according to police.

The medical examiner's office is withholding the victim's name until his family has been notified of the death.

No arrests have been made and no other details of the shooting were immediately available this morning, police spokesman Officer Albie Esparza said.

Anyone with information about the case is encouraged to call the Police Department's anonymous tip line at (415) 575-4444 or send a tip by text message to TIP411.

Sign up for our weekly newsletter and join the conversation on Facebook.

 

SFMTA to Change Parking Meter Rates as Part of SFpark

Demand-Based Pricing: Higher Parking Meter Rates for Crowded Neighborhoods

The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency will be changing the rates at some parking meters around the city later this month, the first adjustments since it started a pilot program to track real-time parking data, an agency spokesman said Monday. SFpark, a two-year pilot program unveiled last year, collects information from meters and sensors embedded in the street about where parking was available. The information was then made available in April at www.sfpark.org or via smartphone apps. Starting at an undetermined date later this month, the SFMTA will begin changing the rates, with higher rates for more crowded neighborhoods and lower ones for areas with more empty spots, spokesman Paul Rose said. About 31 percent of the rates will be going up -- by no more than 25 cents per hour -- while 37 percent are staying the same and 32 percent will be decreasing by no more than 50 cents. The rates, which range from $1.75 per hour to $3.75 per hour, vary from block to block, by time of day, and by whether it is a weekday or weekend, Rose said. The program includes the Civic Center, Hayes Valley, Financial District, South of Market, Mission, Fisherman's Wharf, Fillmore and Marina neighborhoods. It covers roughly a quarter of the city's 28,800 parking meters and more than 12,000 spaces in 15 of its city-owned garages. In the Fisherman's Wharf area, the rates are going down either 25 cents or 50 cents per hour for most weekday hours, and are increasing for most city blocks in the neighborhood after noon on weekends. Conversely, the hourly rates will be increasing for most streets in the Financial District during weekdays, but most will be decreasing on the weekends. The rates will not be changed more than once a month and in increments of no more than 50 cents per hour. SFMTA officials say the demand-based pricing, combined with the information drivers can use to see where spots are, will reduce energy use and pollution from cars circling a block in search of parking.

Sign up for our weekly newsletter and join the conversation on Facebook.

Nb 280 Off-Ramp To Highway 1/19th Ave. As Chp Responds To Fatal Crash

A northbound Interstate Highway 280 off-ramp to state Highway 1 at 19th Avenue in San Francisco is closed as California Highway Patrol officers respond to a fatal crash, a CHP officer said.

A pedestrian was reportedly killed in the crash which occurred at around 3 a.m., CHP Officer Ralph Caggiano said.

It was not immediately known at what time the off-ramp would reopen.

 

UPDATE ON ADVISORY

 The northbound Interstate Highway 280 ramp to state Highway 1/19th Avenue in San Francisco has reopened after a fatal crash this morning, according to the California Highway Patrol.

A pedestrian was struck and killed by a vehicle at around 3 a.m., CHP Officer Ralph Caggiano said.

The connector ramp was closed to traffic until about 5 a.m. as CHP officers investigated the incident.

Information regarding the victim and circumstances surrounding the crash was not immediately available.

Sign up for our weekly newsletter and join the conversation on Facebook.

 

Community, Government Leaders Brainstorm Market Street's Future

Transforming Market From a Transit Hub to Public Destination

San Francisco community leaders and planners will meet today to brainstorm on Market Street's future at a lunchtime forum. Event planners referred to Market Street as "a critical artery where much of the city's transit infrastructure comes together" in a statement. Organizers said they are hoping today's forum will help launch ideas for ways the street can be transformed from a transit hub to a destination location. Representatives from the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency, the San Francisco County Transportation Authority, the city's Planning Department, the Department of Public Works, and the Bicycle Coalition are expected to attend today's lunchtime event, organizers said. Today's forum is hosted by the nonprofit SPUR -- or, the San Francisco Planning and Urban Research Association. The event is free to SPUR members and $5 for non-members. It is scheduled for 12:30 p.m. at 654 Mission St. in San Francisco.

San Francisco Bay Area Tuesday News Roundup

San Jose Autistic Boy Goes Missing, Found by LAPD

A 13-year-old San Jose boy who has autism and went missing Monday morning was located by Los Angeles police Monday afternoon after the boy arrived at a Greyhound bus station, police said. Jesus Garza went to bed at his home in the 300 block of North Eighth Street around 12:30 a.m. Monday, but when his parents checked on him at about 6:30 a.m., he wasn't there, police said. Jesus is autistic and has the mental capacity of a 6- or 7-year-old, according to police. Investigators learned that the boy had expressed interest in traveling to Hollywood in hopes of meeting television celebrities. When investigators contacted Greyhounds employees in San Jose, they learned that Jesus had purchased a ticket and boarded a bus bound for Southern California. Greyhound employees identified the bus in which Jesus was traveling and informed investigators that it would arrive at the San Fernando Valley bus station. Los Angeles police were notified and dispatched officers to the station, where Jesus was taken into protective custody upon his arrival at about 4:30 p.m.. Jesus does not have a history of running away. He attended Peter Burnett Middle School and is scheduled to attend Leland High School in the fall. He is currently taking summer school classes at Horace Mann Elementary School. San Jose police investigators were traveling to Southern California to pick up Jesus, but the case remains under investigation. Anyone with information about Jesus and his disappearance is asked to San Jose police detectives Alfonso Rodriguez or Ryan Hansen of the missing persons unit at (408) 277-4786. Anonymous tipsters may call the Silicon Valley Crime Stoppers at (408) 947-STOP (7867) or may visit svcrimestoppers.org, and may be eligible for a reward.

 

Family Raises Reward for Information About Missing Nursing Student Michelle Lee

The family of missing nursing student Michelle Le, who disappeared on May 27, has increased the reward amount for her return or for information regarding her location to $100,000. Le, 26, went missing on May 27 during a break from her clinical rotation at Kaiser Permanente Hayward Medical Center on Sleeping Hollow Avenue. Last Friday, her family, friends and sorority sisters held a fundraiser at a Hayward restaurant in which 20 percent of the sales were donated toward the reward fund. Her family continues to hold out hope despite the fact that Hayward police classified Le's disappearance as a homicide. Although the family has been working with Hayward police and the FBI, it hired a private investigator last month to independently conduct a parallel investigation. "Our family has spent the last 45 days saving money to reach this amount," Michelle's brother, Michael Le, said in a statement released by the family Monday. "We're hoping this will motivate someone to find it in themselves to step forward; we just want her home with us." The family plans to distribute fliers on Wednesday at 26231 Mission Blvd. in Hayward. Search parties are also being organized for Friday and Saturday. Volunteers will meet at 25350 Cypress Ave. in Hayward at 8 a.m. on both days.

 

Girl Dies After Drinking Soda Spiked with Alcohol

A 14-year-old girl died after apparently drinking soda spiked with alcohol at a sleepover in Sonoma County on Saturday night, a Sonoma County sheriff's lieutenant said Monday. The sheriff's office identified the girl as Takeimi Rao, of Santa Rosa, who recently graduated from Rincon Valley Middle School. An autopsy was scheduled for Monday, but the cause of Rao's death will not be determined until toxicology test results are in, Lt. Dennis O'Leary said. Three other girls attended the sleepover at Rao's house, located in the 6000 block of Foothill Ranch Road in unincorporated Sonoma County north of Santa Rosa, O'Leary said. At about 3 a.m., some of the girls became ill and vomited, and Rao's mother helped clean them up and put them back to sleep, believing that they had food poisoning, O'Leary said. Rao's mother also looked in on her daughter, who appeared to be asleep in her bed, O'Leary said. When Rao's mother went to wake her around 9 a.m., she was unresponsive and the mother then called 911, O'Leary said. One of the girls admitted to bringing alcohol into the room, and sheriff's deputies recovered a bottle of alcohol, O'Leary said. "The parents are really good parents and they were home the entire night," O'Leary said. It's believed the girls were experimenting with alcohol they had found in the house, O'Leary said. Friends posted messages Monday on a Facebook page titled "Rest in Peace Takeimi Rao." "I only had to hang out with you as much as we did for me to love you. I'll miss you girl rest in peace. I will never forget you," one post read. "Nobody this young and beautiful should have passed away. Especially at 14. Everyone misses you. Hopefully this will all teach us a lesson. Somebody should have been there to prevent it. RIP," read another post.

 

Man Accused of Stealing Ballots in SF Remains Silent at Hearing

A man accused of stealing ballots from a San Francisco polling station last November seems determined not to get out of jail after giving the silent treatment to the judge at his sentencing hearing Monday. Karl Bradfield Nicholas, 51, was set to receive a one-year sentence but would likely have been set free Monday because of credit for time already served. Instead, he is being held for at least two additional days for a mental health examination. The silent treatment was the latest in a series of bizarre hearings involving the case, in which Nicholas is accused of taking ballots, a voter roster, and a memory box and access key to a voting machine on Knott Court in the city's Crocker Amazon neighborhood where he was working as a voting station inspector on Nov. 2, 2010. Nicholas was arrested on Nov. 3, and the ballots were later found in the lagoon at the Palace of Fine Arts, prosecutors said. He pleaded guilty in December to felony counts of tampering with voting machines and ballots, but then tried to withdraw the plea in April, but the motion was denied by Judge James Collins. Then last Tuesday -- the one-year mark of his credit for time served -- Nicholas was tackled by sheriff's deputies during a hearing in which his defense attorney Stuart Blumstein had filed a motion to have him released from jail on his own recognizance. But during the hearing, Nicholas started yelling at Collins and was taken to the ground by the deputies, according to Blumstein. The yelling "was out of character" for Nicholas, said Blumstein, who said he did not know what sparked the outburst since "he had an opportunity to get out." Nicholas took the opposite approach Monday with Judge Anne Boulianne, the judge who had received his guilty plea and presided over the sentencing hearing. He refused to acknowledge questions from Boulianne, instead staring straight ahead silently, prompting her to order him held until Wednesday, saying his actions made her "very concerned."

 

Search and Rescue Team Looks for Man Who Fell into Blowhole

A search and rescue team in Maui Monday continued to look for a 44-year-old San Anselmo man who has been missing since he fell into a blowhole near the ocean on Saturday afternoon, a spokesman said. The man was visiting the Nakalele Blowhole on the north side of Maui when a rogue wave struck him from behind and pushed him through the opening in the rocky shoreline, Maui County spokesman Rod Antone said. The man was in the area with family members who saw him get knocked down and disappear, Antone said. Teams from the Maui County Department of Fire and Safety searched the ocean waters around Nakalele Point until sundown on Saturday and continued the search effort during daylight hours Sunday and Monday, Antone said.

 

East Bay Woman Punched, Loses Eye After Giving a Man a Ride in Tenderloin

An East Bay woman lost an eye as a result of being punched by a man to whom she had given a ride in San Francisco's Tenderloin neighborhood on Friday evening, a police spokesman said Monday. The attack was reported at about 6:30 p.m. near the intersection of Eddy and Larkin streets. The 59-year-old victim was called by the 60-year-old suspect, who asked her for a ride to the Tenderloin to sell some of his belongings, police spokesman Officer Albie Esparza said. After driving the man there, the woman waited for a few minutes but then wanted to leave, but he said he didn't want to, Esparza said. The woman leaned over from the driver's seat and reached over the man to open the passenger door, at which point the man began punching her repeatedly, Esparza said. The woman suffered serious injuries to her eye, and the man agreed to accompany her to San Francisco General Hospital, but then fled after they arrived at the hospital, according to Esparza. The woman was treated at the hospital for the injuries, which are not life-threatening, but will result in the loss of her eye, Esparza said. She provided police with a description of the man, who had not been found as of early Monday afternoon. The man is described as a 60-year-old black man who is 5 feet 7 inches tall, about 160 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes, Esparza said. Police were also given the man's address but have not yet been able to locate him, he said. Anyone with information about the case is encouraged to call the Police Department's anonymous tip line at (415) 575-4444 or send a tip by text message to TIP411.

 

2 Southern California Men Arrested for Cloning ATM

Two Southern California men were arrested in Pleasant Hill on Sunday on suspicion of cloning hundreds of ATM, police said. At about 12:10 p.m. police responded to a report of two men loitering around the Citibank ATM machines at 700 Contra Costa Blvd. When the officers contacted the men, identified as 22-year-old Arman Vardanyan and 20-year-old Eduard Arakelyan, one of them fled on foot. Officers chased him and caught him a short distance away. The other man was arrested at the bank. When the two men were searched, officers allegedly found several loaded firearms, a large quantity of cash and hundreds of cloned access cards, police said. Both men were arrested and booked into county jail. Investigators believe the men may have committed crimes in other nearby cities and anyone with information about the case is asked to call detectives at (925) 288-4630.

 

Argument Over Drug Deal Leads to 3 Dead in Richmond Iron Triangle Shooting

Investigators believe an argument over a drug deal led to the shooting deaths of three men inside an apartment in Richmond's Iron Triangle neighborhood on Saturday, Richmond police Capt. Mark Gagan said Monday. Police received a 911 call reporting a shooting at 974 Triangle Circle in the Triangle Court public housing development just before 4:30 p.m., Gagan said. Investigators believe there was a dispute over a drug transaction that led to the shooting of a resident, 26-year-old Michael Anderson. Other people then reportedly shot and killed 19-year-old Oakland resident Dante Deloney and 28-year-old San Leandro resident Corey Walker II, Gagan said. Two people were taken to the police station for questioning afterward but have since been released. "After looking at the physical evidence and the statements they made, they are not being charged at this time," Gagan said. Police declined to release further details about the shooting, citing the ongoing investigation.

SF Arts Commission Names JD Beltran Interim Director

The San Francisco Arts Commission voted unanimously on a new interim director Monday, officials from the mayor's office announced. The agency named JD Beltran, the current vice president, to act as director while they recruit a new permanent director of cultural affairs. Beltran will replace Luis Cancel, who has been the director of cultural affairs since 2007. The mayor's office announced that Cancel had tendered his resignation last week and planned to return to his hometown of New York City where he previously served as the head of that city's Department of Cultural Affairs. Beltran is a conceptual artist, filmmaker, and writer as well as a member of the San Francisco Art Institute's faculty. Beltran is also the director of the school's City Studio arts education program for underserved youth. "JD is a fantastic artist, a well respected member of the arts community, and a committed public servant dedicated to the well-being of this organization," commission President PJ Johnston said in a statement. "We're very fortunate that she's willing to step in and serve for this brief period." Johnston said the search for a permanent director is expected to take two to three months. "I see my role as one of placeholder, helping the Arts Commission get through this transition to its new director," Beltran said in a statement. "I have no interest in the permanent job -- indeed, I'll need to get back to my work soon. But I do care deeply about the San Francisco Arts Commission, and I want to see it flourish." Beltran said she hopes to return to the commission once a permanent replacement has been found.

Sign up for our weekly newsletter and join the conversation on Facebook.

Update: Group Plans Protest At Civic Center Bart Station

A group is planning a protest this afternoon at the Civic Center BART station in San Francisco, where BART police shot and killed a knife-wielding man last week.

The group No Justice, No BART said it is demanding that the BART Police Department be disbanded, and that both of the two officers involved in the July 3 shooting of 45-year-old Charles Hill be fired and criminally charged if it is found that the shooting was not justified.

Today's protest is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. on the platform of the Civic Center station.

BART spokesman Linton Johnson said such a protest would be illegal.

"Disruptive protests like this planned one on small platforms with fast moving trains and large crowds are against the law because they put ... riders, BART workers, journalists and protesters at serious risk of injury or death," he said.

Hill was wielding a knife and a broken alcohol bottle before BART police shot him on the train platform, Johnson said.

BART police said Hill was aggressive and combative and did not comply with orders.

One of the officers suffered minor cuts during the confrontation, BART officials said.

A Facebook page has been set up for this afternoon's rally, and as of this morning, more than 370 people had indicated they would attend.

The group No Justice, No BART was formed in response to the New Year's Day 2009 shooting of Oscar Grant III. Grant, a 22-year-old Hayward resident who was unarmed, was shot and killed by then-BART police Officer Johannes Mehserle at the Fruitvale station in Oakland.

 

 

Sign up for our weekly newsletter and join the conversation on Facebook.

Woman Loses Eye After Being Punched In Tenderloin Friday

A woman lost an eye as a result of being punched by a man inside her car in San Francisco's Tenderloin neighborhood on Friday evening, police said.

The attack was reported at about 6:30 p.m. near the intersection of Eddy and Larkin streets.

The 59-year-old woman was in her car with the 60-year-old suspect when she told him to get out, according to police.

The man refused and became enraged, and punched her on the right side of her face, police said.

[Want to stay informed about what's happening in San Francisco? Sign up for the Reset SF Newsletter.]

The woman was taken to San Francisco General Hospital to be treated for her injuries, which were not life-threatening but resulted in the loss of her eye, according to police.

The man fled after the attack and had not been found as of this morning, police said.

Anyone with information about the case is encouraged to call the Police Department's anonymous tip line at (415) 575-4444 or send a tip by text message to TIP411.

 

 

Join the conversation on Facebook.

Man Suffers Life-Threatening Injuries In Bayview Shooting Early Sunday

A man was seriously injured in a shooting in San Francisco's Bayview District early Sunday morning, police said.

The shooting occurred shortly before 3:30 a.m. Sunday near the intersection of Third Street and Gilman Avenue.

Four men in their 20s were driving on Third Street and turned onto Gilman Avenue when someone ran up to their car and opened fire, according to police.

One of the people in the car, a 23-year-old man, was hit by the gunfire.

He was taken to San Francisco General Hospital to be treated for his injuries, which are considered life-threatening, police said.

No arrests have been made in connection with the shooting.

Anyone with information about the case is encouraged to call the Police Department's anonymous tip line at (415) 575-4444 or send a tip by text message to TIP411.

Sign up for our weekly newsletter and join the conversation on Facebook.

Man Fatally Shot In Ingleside Saturday Morning

A man was killed in a shooting in San Francisco's Ingleside neighborhood on Saturday morning, police said.

The shooting was reported at 11:19 a.m. Saturday near the intersection of Holloway and Brighton avenues.
The victim, identified by the medical examiner's office as 23-year-old Karl Henderson, was shot in the chest and taken to San Francisco General Hospital.

Henderson, a San Francisco resident, was pronounced dead around noon, according to police.

No arrests have been made in connection with the shooting and no other information was immediately available this morning, police said.

Anyone with information about the homicide is encouraged to call the Police Department's anonymous tip line at (415) 575-4444 or send a tip by text message to TIP411.

 

Sign up for our weekly newsletter and join the conversation on Facebook.

 

 

UPDATE: One-Alarm House Fire Controlled, Causes $350,000 In Damage

Firefighters controlled a one-alarm house fire this morning in San Francisco's Sunnyside neighborhood that spread to a neighboring home and caused about $350,000 in damage, a fire battalion chief said.

San Francisco firefighters responded to 55 Melrose Ave. just before 2:30 a.m. to find heavy smoke and flames burning through the roof of the two-story home, fire Battalion Chief Bryan Rubenstein said.

Strong winds spread the blaze to the house next door on the right, damaging its exterior and kitchen, Rubenstein said.

Crews made an aggressive attempt battling the fire from inside the original home and it was contained by about 2:50 a.m., he said.

No one was inside the house where the fire started, but a family of three was evacuated from the neighboring house.

There were no injuries, Rubenstein said. The fire is believed to have started in the living room, but its cause is under investigation.

Each house is estimated to have sustained about $175,000 in damage.

Sign up for our weekly newsletter and join the conversation on Facebook.

 

San Francisco Bay Area Monday News Roundup

Coast Guard Continues Search for Capsized Boat Survivors

The U.S. Coast Guard will continue to search today for signs of a charter fishing boat that capsized a week ago near Baja, Mexico, officials said. A U.S. Coast Guard C-130 Hercules aircrew completed their sixth day of searching Sunday in a 990 square-mile area in the Sea of Cortez near Isla San Luis, Mexico. No sign of the seven people still missing from the boat were found. The boat, operated by the fishing excursion company Baja Sportfishing Inc., sank at 2:30 a.m. on July 3, according to the Coast Guard. More than 40 people were on board including crew members and a group of fishermen from various Bay Area cities who were on a fishing trip together.

 

Nude Fairfield Woman Armed with Handgun Arrested in Vacaville Motel

A nude Fairfield woman armed with a handgun at a Super 8 motel in Vacaville was arrested by police after a desk clerk convinced her to surrender early Sunday morning, a Vacaville police sergeant said. Patricia Wright, 32, allegedly entered the lobby of the motel, located at 101 Allison Court, naked and armed with a handgun around 2:40 a.m., Sgt. Mark Donaldson said. Wright apparently waved the firearm at the desk clerk, who called 911. She told the clerk that she was afraid and mentioned a male companion staying at the motel with her, Donaldson said. But Wright was not making threats to hurt herself or the clerk, he said. As about seven officers surrounded the motel, the clerk talked to Wright and tried to calm her down. Within about 20 minutes, she convinced Wright to put the handgun down and the clerk was able secure the weapon, Donaldson said. Wright surrendered to Vacaville police at about 3 a.m. Officers also detained Wright's male companion, but after questioning him they determined he had not committed any crime, Donaldson said. Wright allegedly admitted to police that she had ingested both marijuana and ecstasy, which Donaldson said likely played a role in her behavior. She was booked into Solano County Jail in Fairfield on suspicion of brandishing a firearm, possession of a loaded firearm in public, and possession of a firearm that had its serial number removed. The incident was contained to the lobby, and the motel was not evacuated. No one suffered any injuries during the standoff.

 

Drunk Driver Crashes into Fire Engine, Arrested by San Jose Police

San Jose police arrested a man on suspicion of driving under the influence after he plowed his car into a fire engine that was leaving the scene of a one-alarm house fire Sunday morning, a San Jose fire captain said. Two firefighters were reversing a small brush control engine, primarily used for battling wildfires, onto Mabury Road from High Glen Drive when a man driving at a high rate of speed crashed a sport coupe into the back of the engine, launching the car about 15 to 20 feet, San Jose fire Capt. Rob Brown said. The driver, a man in his early 20s who appeared intoxicated, navigated around two cars that were stopped while a fire captain was directing traffic on the closed road around 12:30 a.m., Brown said. The firefighters and the driver did not suffer any injuries, but both vehicles sustained damage, he said. Twenty-three firefighters and two battalion chiefs were at the scene, where minutes earlier they controlled a fire that started in a wall of an upstairs bedroom in a two-story house, Brown said. The fire was reported just before midnight, and it caused about $5,000 to $10,000 in damage to the house, he said. No occupants were in the home when the fire started and no one was injured while battling the blaze. Its cause is under investigation.

 

Suisun City Man Hospitalized After Graduation Party Fight

A Suisun City man suffered a serious head injury in a fight that erupted at a graduation party in Solano County early Sunday morning, according to the sheriff's office. The fight took place in front of a home in the 4500 block of Green Valley Road near Fairfield at about 1:25 a.m., according to a Solano County sheriff's lieutenant. Arriving deputies found a paramedic team administering emergency aid to 48-year-old Roy Hellickson, who had suffered a head injury. An investigation revealed that Hellickson got into a fight with 20-year-old Carson Bruce, of Fairfield, after Bruce allegedly acted inappropriately toward another guest at the party, according to the sheriff's office. During the altercation, Hellickson fell and hit his head on the ground, causing serious injury. Hellickson was first taken to Northbay Medical Center and then flown by helicopter to U.C. Davis Medical Center where he was listed in serious condition. Bruce was arrested and booked at Solano County Jail for assault with a deadly weapon. His bail was set at $25,000.

 

Firefighter Injured by Falling Debris During Healdsburg Fire

A firefighter was injured by falling debris while fighting a two-alarm fire at a Healdsburg home early Sunday morning, fire officials said. The fire, which began on the deck of 243 Albert Court, was reported just before 2 a.m., Fire Chief Steven Adams said. Flames had already spread through the first and second stories of the home when firefighters arrived and were threatening homes on three sides. Firefighters struggled to extinguish the fire, in part due to the large number of personal items in the house and concealed spaces in the structure, Adams said. All occupants of the home were able to escape uninjured, but one firefighters received an injury to his neck due to falling debris. He was treated at Healdsburg District Hospital and released. While the neighboring homes escaped damage, all the belongings in the affected house were destroyed, Adams said. Damage is estimated at around $400,000, and an investigation into the fire's cause is underway.

 

San Jose Shooting Victim Gives Few Details to San Jose Police  

San Jose police have learned few details about a shooting victim that showed up at a hospital early Sunday morning. Police were contacted by Regional Medical Center staff at about 2:45 a.m. when the victim of a shooting limped into the emergency room, San Jose police Sgt. Jason Dwyer said. The victim, a man in his early 20s, told police he had been at a party in South San Jose where he was involved in a scuffle and shot in the lower leg. His injury was not life threatening. The victim has been uncooperative and did not tell police how he arrived at the hospital or any details about the cause of his injury, including a motive or who might have been involved. The shooting has not been determined to be gang related, though Dwyer said the area has seen incidents of gang activity in the past. The shooting remains under investigation.

 

Mills College Shooting Injures One

A shooting near Mills College in Oakland injured one person Saturday evening, police said. Officers responded to the 6200 block of Seminary Avenue at about 7:45 p.m. and found one victim suffering from a gunshot wound, Oakland police Officer Kevin McDonald said. The victim was taken to the hospital in stable condition and there are no suspects in custody, McDonald said.

 

San Jose Police Find Man with Multiple Stab Wounds on Lawn, 3 Suspects Arrested

San Jose police found a man with multiple stab wounds on the front lawn of a San Jose residence early Sunday morning, a sergeant said. Officers responded to a 911 call from a resident reporting a wounded person in a front yard at about 1:30 a.m., San Jose police Sgt. Jason Dwyer said. Arriving officers found a male victim suffering multiple stab wounds who said he had been chased and attacked by several people who might still be in the area. Officers established a search perimeter and found three suspects -- two females and a male - who were arrested in connection with the stabbing. The victim was taken to a hospital and is expected to survive. It has not been determined it the attack was gang related, but the gang activity in the neighborhood has been confirmed in the past, Dwyer said. The incident remains under investigation.

Sign up for our weekly newsletter and join the conversation on Facebook.

July 11, 2011

SFPD Recap: Robberies and Robberies

Unfortunately for us, crime never rests.

El Tecolote Benefit at Casa Sanchez

Casa Sanchez invites you to a Sunday afternoon of live music and food in their courtyard featuring Dr. Loco and Friends! This is a benefit event for El Tecolote Newspaper. There is no cover, but donations will be gladly accepted and appreciated at the door. Hope to see you there!

Paid for by Phil Ting for Assembly 2012. FPPC ID# 1343137