If you’re not already getting SFPD Captain Paul Chignell’s daily email report of crimes on the westside, you really should. It’s a rather illuminating document, and occaisionally there are reports of crime on MUNI, mostly related to theft. This account, however, was more detailed. Read on:
02/25/09 3:10 pm 1300 block of 9th Avenue
A woman was riding on the Judah light rail line on the rear train at the back of the vehicle when five suspects boarded the train and started moving about the vehicle with a great deal of noise. The suspects then exited the train but got back on a few blocks later. At 9th Avenue and Judah one of the suspects pushed the woman’s coat off the seat and then grabbed her Ipod from her thigh area.
The suspect then grabbed the woman’s ear phones and handed the items to a accomplice. The woman struggled with the suspect during the robbery but the group of suspects quickly exited the train. The victim pursued the suspects and alerted Irving Street foot beat officer Ronald Gehrke who observed the suspects running eastbound Irving to southbound 8th Avenue.
A witness observed one of the suspects eschew a backpack and sweatshirt as Officer Gehrke continued to keep the suspects in sight and broadcast a description over the police radio. Numerous officers responded to the area to search for the suspects including Captain Paul Chignell, Sergeant Steve Quon, Sergeant Henry Woo, Officers Ronald Choy, Joseph Everson, Michael Ferraresi, Khang Do, Gregory Pak, Jessica Nantroup and others.
At the corner of 9th Avenue and Lawton, Officers Everson and Ferraresi captured the main suspect who had robbed the victim. The second suspect was arrested on the 1600 block of 10th Avenue by Officers Do and Choy. Both suspects were out of breath and perspiring when arrested. The suspects were positively identified by the victim and linked to two other street robberies. The suspects, who live on the 1000 block of Fitzgerald and the 1300 block of Quesada, were arrested for robbery, conspiracy and assault. Case #090205464
We want to thank our SFPD for being on the case. Now, the question is, will these solid citizens get punished, or get a plea and go free thanks to San Francisco’s notoriously pro-criminal justice system? We’ll see….
Only on Muni can suspects exit the train but then manage to get back on a few blocks later.
We Muni Ladies don’t receive the police report – thank you for sharing!
I just realized I forgot to put in the email address to sign up…just send a blank email with the words “email newsletter” to Capt. Chignell and you can be on the list!
Paul Chignell
Erik — that’s EXACTLY what I was thinking.
Anyway, it’s cool that SFPD made an arrest. Congrats on your first arrest of the decade. Keep it up!
Generally in most cases when there’s been one of these incidents on the N out here, the SFPD gets the dude who’s stealin’ ipods. And, they nab a LOT of drug dealers who drive on 19th avenue with expired tabs, usually with a lot of drugs in their car. More often than not, it seems like property crimes compose the majority of things in the Taraval station’s reach.
Also, the Richmond station has a blog now but I googled it and can’t find the url…
That’s awesome that they were able to get off and then get back on several blocks later.
I wish someone would arrest Muni.