Tuesday: The SFPD Ingleside Community Meeting Comes to Bernal Heights

October 19, 2015October 19, 2015 / Todd_Lappin / 2 Comments

Each month, Capt. Joseph McFadden from SFPD’s Ingleside Station holds a community meeting to give precinct residents the chance to ask questions about crime and public safety in our neighborhood. The meetings are very useful, but they’re not always convenient, because they usually happen at Ingleside Station in Balboa Park.

This month, instead of going to see Capt. McFadden, Capt. McFadden will come see us. Tomorrow night, Tuesday, Oct. 20, the SFPD’s Ingleside Community Meeting will come to the Bernal Heights Neighborhood Center on Cortland. If there’s a Bernal Heights crime issue that’s got you on edge, this is an excellent opportunity to talk about it with our local top cop.

Neighbor Sarah, Bernalwood’s ad hoc liaison to SFPD Ingleside, tells us:

Meet Captain McFadden at the Bernal Heights Neighborhood Center on Tues., Oct. 20, at 7pm

The monthly Ingleside Police Station community meeting for October will be held at the Bernal Heights Neighborhood Center, 515 Cortland Ave. This is a great opportunity to meet Captain McFadden in person, ask questions, and share any concerns you have about safety in the neighborhood. Captain McFadden has been taking the community meetings out into the neighborhoods in the district so that more people can attend.

Community Boards will also be presenting at the meeting. Founded in 1976, Community Boards is the oldest public conflict resolution/mediation center in the US. Community Boards volunteer mediators can help you navigate problems with neighbors, landlords, roommates, family, vendors, etc. More info is available here.

And here’s the official annoucement:

Our #communitymeeting is tomorrow Tues. Oct. 20th-7pm,Bernal Heights Neighborhood Center at 515 Cortland Ave. #sfpd https://t.co/K1l33JB7EZ—
SFPDInglesideStation (@SFPDIngleside) October 19, 2015

PHOTO: Capt. McFadden, by Telstar Logistics

Details Emerge as SFPD Officer Recovers from Injury Incident on Mirabel

October 14, 2015October 14, 2015 / Todd_Lappin / 8 Comments

It’s been a little more than a week since that unpleasant incident on Mirabel, where a manhunt unfolded after an SFPD officer was struck by the driver of a stolen BMW. The October 9 edition of the SFPD Ingleside Newsletter provided a rather comprehensive summary of what happened, told in classic crime-blotter style:

It started out innocent enough. The department has been dealing with a rash of car burglaries in the City. The Ingleside District has dealt with more than its share. Ingleside Officers Stark and Carew, along with many other Ingleside units, were sent to investigate a vehicle break in on Mirabel Avenue. The caller said there were four suspects inside a white BMW. The caller gave the BMW’s license plate number to dispatch, who informed the officers that the vehicle was wanted for a previous burglary and it had fled from Mission units who tried to stop it less than an hour before the current call. Ingleside Officers Hermosura and Ferronato were first to arrive on scene and, as they pulled up, three suspects exited the BMW and escaped down a nearby stairwell. However, the driver put the BMW in gear and took off at a high rate of speed. Officers Hermosura broadcast that he was in pursuit as he chased the fleeing subject through the narrow streets in the neighborhood. After three blocks, fearing for the safety of pedestrians and other motorists, Officer Hermosura cancelled his pursuit. The vehicle was last seen driving east on Montezuma Street.

A few seconds later all the responding police personnel were startled by the distressing sound of an officer screaming for help on the radio. Dispatch quickly put out a call of “officer down” on the unit block of Mirabel Streets. Every available Ingleside unit, along with several units from Bayview and Mission Station sped to the scene. They found Ingleside Officer Bryant lying on his back on the sidewalk screaming in pain. Officer Bryant told his colleagues that he thought he was going to die. An ambulance was dispatched while Sgt. Mitchell rendered first aid.

The driver of the BMW was lying face down on the sidewalk, in handcuffs, surrounded by Officers Montero and Roche. Roche and Montero were following Bryant as they arrived on Mirabel Avenue. Just then, the BMW, driven by the suspect, arrived and stopped in front of Bryant’s patrol car which was blocking the street. All the officers exited their patrol car and ordered the suspect out of the car. But instead of exiting the BMW, the suspect accelerated at the officers. All were able to avoid getting hit except for Bryant, who was hit by the BMW’s front bumper and pinned against a parked Volvo. Officer Montero quickly pulled Officer Bryant, who was in extreme pain, out to safety. The driver of the BMW was taken into custody and booked on a variety of charges. The other occupants of the BMW were quickly apprehended in the area by other officers. Officer Bryant was treated at San Francisco General Hospital for serious injuries to his legs and chest and is now recovering at home. Report number: 150870820

Yikes. Upon reading this, Bernalwood asked Capt. McFadden from Ingleside Station for an update on Officer Bryant’s condition. Capt. McFadden shared this encouraging news:

Officer Joshua Bryant was injured in the incident. He is a very large man and did not sustain any severe injuries. He had a sprained left wrist and left ankle along with serious road rash all over his arms and legs from being dragged by the suspect’s car. He is recovering from his injuries and should be back to work within a few weeks. Thanks for the community concern. It is greatly appreciated.

The driver of the car, Jaimes Ulises, 25, of Mountain View, is charged with attempted murder and aggravated assault on a peace officer in connection with the incident. Last week his bail was set at $2.5 million.

PHOTO: Stolen BMW involved in the Oct 5 incident on Mirabel, by @NBCbayarea

Late-Night Manhunt After Auto Burglary Suspect Injures SFPD Officer on Mirabel

October 5, 2015October 5, 2015 / Todd_Lappin / 25 Comments

Were you awakened by the sound of the helicopter circling low above Precitaville at around 12:30 am last night? That was a California Highway Patrol chopper that was brought in to assist the San Francisco Police in a coordinated search for auto break-in suspects who tried to run down an SFPD officer on Mirabel.

SF Chronicle reporter Kale Williams explains what happened:

A police officer was injured in San Francisco Sunday night when an auto burglary suspect tried to run him over, pinning him against his patrol car, authorities said.

Around midnight, officers responded to reports of the burglary on the 100 block of Mirabel Ave in the city’s Bernal Heights neighborhood, said Officer Carlos Manfredi, a police spokesman.

As the officer stepped out of his cruiser, the suspect, who was sitting in a stolen BMW, tried to run him over, Manfredi said, pinning him against his vehicle.

The suspect, whose name was not immediately released, then attempted to flee but was blocked by another patrol car, which he also hit, Manfredi said. He was arrested at the scene.

The injured officer may have suffered broken ribs and injuries to his legs. He was taken to San Francisco General Hospital, where he was in stable condition early Monday morning.

Yikes. Bernalwood sends sincere gratitude and get-well wishes to the injured SFPD officer.

Mayhem Strikes as Thief Crashes Stolen Car on Mullen

September 29, 2015September 29, 2015 / Todd_Lappin / 9 Comments

Grrrrr. Neighbor Peter did some excellent reporting on the scene yesterday after a stolen Honda Accord crashed into a several parked vehicles on Mullen:

A bit of news from Santana Rancho today. I didn’t witness it happen, but heard a loud crash at around 1pm (ish) and ran outside to check it out. Pictures below of what I found on Mullen at Franconia.

A Honda Accord slammed into a Saab then careened into and on top of a Mini Cooper. The 2 witnesses I spoke to said the driver fled the scene on foot north down the Franconia stairs towards Peralta, then headed east on Peralta.

The police were on the scene pretty quickly and seemed to get a somewhat decent description of the suspect from witnesses. They confirmed that the car was stolen. Also, the police were then pointed to a few belongings that the suspect may have dropped on the Franconia stairs while fleeing – a couple of flashlights and a pretty large folding knife.

All in all, pretty startling, since he must’ve been driving pretty fast to cause such an acciden. All are lucky that no bystanders were hurt. Unfortunately, the two cars that got hit were in pretty rough shape though.

PHOTOS: Neighbor Peter

Video Shows Drive-By Shooter Shattering Windows at Precita Park Cafe

September 21, 2015September 20, 2015 / Todd_Lappin / 17 Comments

It’s been a week since several windows at the much-loved Precita Park Cafe were shattered in a disturbing barrage of late-night gunfire.

Impressively, the damage was quickly repaired, so that virtually no trace of the incident remains. Less impressively, the SFPD says they have few leads in the investigation.

Here’s a development: Bernalwood has reviewed security camera footage that shows how the incident unfolded. It happened at 4:43 AM. The shooting was a drive-by, and the passenger fired the weapon. It was over within seconds.

Pay close attention to the car that appears in the first few moments of the video. You can see several muzzle flashes, and broken glass falling to the ground:

Want to play high-tech sleuth? Use your own combination of algorithms to zoom and enhance the video. Can you identify what kind of car this is?

Supernatural Forces Suspected In Odd Case of Vanishing Fig Tree

September 15, 2015September 15, 2015 / Todd_Lappin / 4 Comments

Neighbor Beth is baffled by the sudden disappearance of a fig tree from her enclosed back yard on Gates Street:

We are trying to make sense of the mystery of the missing fig tree.

We planted this fig sapling a few years ago. After losing all of the leaves, it remained a bare stalk for for a year (or two?). When I finally decided I may as well get rid of it, I climbed the slope to find – lo, and behold – it had 2 grown leaves. Miraculous! Since then, it gained about 1 leaf per year and at last count had about 6.

Last week, while Margot Mouse and I were making DIY garden gnomes, we noticed that the fig tree was COMPLETELY GONE. Nothing left but the tag. The rocks around the base were neatly moved aside.

There are some potential witnesses who guard the yard but they won’t talk, not even under the influence of catnip. I thought maybe a kid had broken it and hid the evidence but there’s no trace, nowhere. Animals? We have no deer, goats, or cows. Raccoons starting a garden? Raptured? We remain mystified.

PHOTO: Neighbor Beth

Gunfire Smashes Windows at Precita Park Cafe

September 14, 2015September 14, 2015 / Todd_Lappin / 24 Comments

Ugh. Neighbor Daniel reports that three of the front windows at the Precita Park Cafe were smashed overnight. Police are on the scene this morning.

Some neighbors said they heard gunfire at approximately 4:30 am, and it would appear that this is how the windows were damaged. A bullet hole was still visible in at least one of the damaged windows.

Bernalwood will provide updates as more information becomes available.

UPDATE: Neighbor Alex shares additional photos from the scene. He suspects it was a drive-by that targeted the windows.

He also recovered a slug from the scene:

Mat shared a photo of a bullet still lodged in the wall:

PHOTOS: Neighbor Daniel, Neighbor Miles, Neighbor Alex, @MatDunlap.

Woman Critically Injured in Mission Street Hit-and-Run Saturday Night

August 24, 2015August 24, 2015 / Todd_Lappin / 6 Comments

A pedestrian was critically injured in a hit-and-run incident on Mission at Precita last Saturday night, and the SFPD is looking for leads to help catch the driver. The SF Appeal reports:

The collision was reported at 9:58 p.m. at Mission Street and Precita Avenue, where a 24-year-old woman was hit by a pickup truck, according to police.

The truck driver did not stop after the collision and continued north on Mission Street. The truck and driver had not been found as of this morning, police said.

The victim was taken to San Francisco General Hospital with head and torso injuries that are considered life-threatening, according to police.

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

New Details Emerge About Circumstances Surrounding 2014 Alex Nieto Shooting

August 13, 2015 / Todd_Lappin / 33 Comments

The cover story of today’s San Francisco Examiner reveals new information about the circumstances surrounding the SFPD officer-involved shooting of Bernal neighbor Alex Nieto on Bernal Hill in March 2014.

The Examiner reports:

Supporters say Nieto was defenseless and never attempted to grab, or point at police, the stun gun holstered at his side. They also believe Nieto was brought to the ground by gunfire, and then shot until dead.

But previously unreported details included in a letter sent from the District Attorney’s Office to Chief Greg Suhr in February, when the DA decided not to press criminal charges against the four officers involved, contradict those claims. The case has since been referred to the FBI.

The San Francisco Police Department echoed the DA’s decision last week when it closed its investigation into Nieto’s death, determining that officers acted within department policy when they fatally shot him on March 21, 2014.

Nieto pulled the trigger on his stun gun three times within moments of police shooting at him, according to the DA.

Each trigger squeeze was recorded by the Taser’s memory. An analyst with Taser International reviewed the weapon’s clock and determined the trigger was first pulled at 7:18:45 p.m., again seven seconds later and then at 7:19:01 p.m., according to the DA.

“These times coincide with time the officers discharged their weapons, which can be heard on the audio recording of the 911 call beginning at 7:18:40 p.m.,” the letter read.

The article also reveals that Neighbor Alex had several disturbing mental-health incidents in the weeks preceding his death on Bernal Hill.

IMAGE: Alex Nieto photo illustration by Telstar Logistics

Your July 2015 Crime Report: Home Burglaries and Auto Smash-and-Grab Thefts Are Way Up

July 28, 2015July 30, 2015 / Todd_Lappin / 19 Comments

The video above shows the infuriating spectacle of an organized auto smash-and-grab ring smashing-and-grabbing from a car parked on Bocana yesterday.

We’ll get to the details of that in just a moment… but first, the valiant Neighbor Sarah attended the monthly Ingleside SFPD community meeting last week, and she shares these notes on the latest Bernal Heights crime trends:

Notes from Ingleside Community Meeting
July 21, 2015

RECENT PERSONNEL CHANGES AT INGLESIDE
– Lt. Struckman has been sent to Property to work on high-profile issue of clearing backlog of rape kits.
Ingleside is now down to two lieutenants. at station; Lt. Burke was moved from investigations to patrol/nights.
– Ingleside expects new lieutenants and sergeants this fall
– Police redistricting happened, but it did not affect Ingleside

INTRODUCTIONS
Rob Rueca – he is the permits officer at Ingleside station
Archie Wong – new neighborhood DA at station; archie.wong@sfgov.org, 415-551-9813

CRIME TRENDS
Burglaries of autos and homes WAY up across city
SFPD thinks this has to do with Prop 47, which passed last year
+40% in burglaries in Ingleside YTD
+19% in auto burglaries YTD

Captain attributed this to a mix of organized criminals who know exactly how to work around the laws – including Ghost Town gang from Oakland – and opportunistic crimes by individuals with drug problems.
For example, gang members send one person out to break all the car windows on a block. Second person comes 30 minutes later and grabs stuff from inside. That way, it’s separates crimes – one vandalism, one theft. Also keeps property stolen by one person under the $900 felony threshold.

Ghost Town has been hitting SF, San Bruno, Palo Alto, Oakland, Santa Clara. Also, some auto burglars break the window to trigger car alarm, knowing most people just turn it off… which then lets them get in very easily

Home burglaries – Occur mostly between 10am and 2pm
Nosy neighbors and dogs are best deterrents. SFPD encourages setting up neighborhood watch, and always report suspicious activity to 553-0123 (crime in progress: 911). Explain why the activity is suspicious and give good details if you can do so without endangering yourself (plate #, etc).

Ingleside recently stopped a ring of street robberies, which have also been up.

Grocery Outlet in Visitacion Valley had a takeover robbery – police IDed people from video, but victims could not ID them, so not arrested

Always file a report – it helps the police connect crimes.

Trying to get horses and motorcycle officers in McLaren Park – crime picks up later in the day there

SFPD recently did a traffic sting focused on not yielding to pedestrians at Mission/Oliver – 38 citations in 1.5 hours. Doing more traffic stings along Mission corridor, so be advised.

COMING EVENTS:
NATIONAL NIGHT OUT – TUES, AUG 4, AT THE BERNAL REC CENTER

This year’s National Night Out will be held in Bernal Heights at the Bernal Rec Center and Bernal Library!
Next week – Tues, Aug 4, 5-8pm

Free BBQ, jumpy houses, rock climbing wall, games, arts & crafts, giveaways. safety resources, and more
Meet your neighbors, have fun, and find out ways to promote community safety
Exhibiting organizations include the Bernal Heights Neighborhood Center, Bernal Library, NERT, ALERT, Rec & Park, SFSAFE, Department of Emergency Management, SFPD, SFFD, & more
Sponsors include SF POA, SFFD, Recology, Cordova Market, Boys & Girls Clubs, and more

Next SFPD Ingleside meeting – 8/18, 7pm, at St. Aidan’s Church, 101 Goldmine in Diamond Heights right near DH Safeway. Lots of parking available.

PRESENTATION BY Auxiliary Law Enforcement Response Team (ALERT)

Modeled on SF NERT, this group trains team to assist law enforcement in the event of disaster – directing traffic, answering phones, working with officers to check areas for looting, assist at reunification centers, etc.
Will respond based on need to any of 10 stations, so if 1989-style quake happened today, basically all volunteers would have been sent to Marina; ALERT is not neighborhood-focused like NERT. To participate:
Must do NERT certification first – 20 hours
ALERT training – additional 8 hours
Must complete background check before doing ALERT training
3 training classes in 2015
More information here

Okay, so now let’s get back to the sad car break-in video shown above.

As Neighbor Sarah mentioned, auto break-ins are way up all over San Francisco, and they appear to be increasingly organized. This video shows just what that looks like. Neighbor Scott tells Bernalwood:

When I went to my car this morning, July 27, I noticed my neighbor’s car had been vandalized. Attached is a video of the perpetrator – from him casing the neighborhood, to selecting a car, to calling his accomplice, to looting my neighbor’s car.

My father-in-law’s car was broken into Saturday night so I’m hoping you can let everyone know – especially on Bocana Street – that we are the “street-de-jour” for the smash-and-grab crowd.

Also, I called SFPD, and since it wasn’t my car that was broken into, I can’t file a police report. I sent the video to the Ingleside police station anyway.

If we find out who’s car it was, I’d be happy to talk to the police with them. This happened to me two months ago – I feel their pain!

Foodie-Hating Vandal Damages Small Businesses on Cortland

July 21, 2015July 21, 2015 / Todd_Lappin / 146 Comments

Daybreak this morning reveals that a vandal damaged the Epicurean Trader on Cortand overnight by spray-painting political slogans on the store’s facade.

The graffiti says: “Banal Heights” and “Traitor for the 1%.”

A hot-take analysis by the Bernalwood Office of Propaganda Research concluded that the vandal apparently suffers from a narcissistic righteousness disorder, exacerbated by feelings of contempt. Further semiotic inquiry also reveals conspicuously tidy handwriting, rote sloganeering, and an unfortunate weakness for bad puns.

Bernalwood will provide further updates as they become available.

UPDATE: Bernalwood has confirmed that Pinhole Coffee was tagged as well.

PHOTOS: @rallyp

SFPD Captain McFadden Responds to Burglary at Bernal Heights Home

July 16, 2015 / Todd_Lappin / 25 Comments

Alert! Alert! Alert! There’s been a recent uptick in daytime home burglaries. Captain McFadden from SFPD’s Ingleside Station has a few words to say about this, but first, Neighbor Marcos shares his sad story:

I wanted to let the good folks of Bernal aware of a recent burglary. I live in a downstairs flat on Florida between Precita and Peralta. On the morning of July 4th thieves entered my building by prying open a street-facing window and busting the window lock. They quickly went through the front two rooms taking laptops, a television and other electronics. They quickly rifled through a few drawers of my media center before leaving out the front door. Apparently, they did not go into the back portion of the home. What is particularly concerning is that this occurred between 10:00 am and 11:15 am, while my partner and I were out to coffee. This leads me to believe that we were being watched and the thieves waited until both we and my upstairs neighbor left. That is creepy as hell.

I have to give my hat off to the SFPD. I completely expected them to not show or simply arrive, leave a report and immediately take off. They did not. Officer Campos arrived within an hour and a half (not bad for July 4th or any other time in SF, really) He was professional and patient. He took his time to thoroughly investigate the scene and then blew my socks off when he said, “I’ll get the CSI unit over here. Maybe we can get a good print.” CSI unit? For a home invasion that must happen all the time every day? Okay. A few hours later two CSI officers arrived and were just as thorough. They ended up finding a few prints. Since then, SFPD has followed up with me regarding what they are doing and how things will move forward. I have no expectations of my belongings ever being recovered but it’s nice to see that the police force is taking this crime seriously and seemingly applying resources to it.

By the way, Officer Campos did say that there has been increased crime activity in the neighborhood over the past six months. Let’s all please keep an eye out for each other. We have a fantastic neighborhood.

In response to Neighbor Marcos, Captain McFadden had this to say:

First of all, I am extremely sorry to hear that you were the victim of a burglary. We have had a severe increase across the city in them for several reasons. I appreciate the kind words that you’ve said about Officer Campos. He is definitely one of my top officers here at Ingleside Station and has been for several years.

As an FYI, Most burglaries are perpetrated by suspects around the times of 10 AM- 2 PM and are the result of a “casing” of the residence by the suspects. This is why it is extremely important that Bernal residents call the non-emergency number 415-553-0123 whenever they see something or someone who seems to be suspicious.

Make sure to describe the person and activity they are doing very specifically. The responding officers may just stop a crime before it happens by letting the suspects know that they are being watched by your attentive neighbors. If there is anything we can ever help you with please feel free to contact me at Ingleside Station…415-404-4000.

PHOTO: RickM2007

Your Bernal Heights Crime Update for May 2015: Gambling Dens Are Trouble, Pity the Sad Car Windows, and Guard Your Succulents

June 4, 2015June 4, 2015 / Todd_Lappin / 9 Comments

And now, a quick update on Ingleside Precinct crime patterns, courtesy of Neighbor Sarah, our valiant SFPD liaison:

Ingleside SFPD Community Meeting and Crime Update
Meeting: May 19, 2015

Elder Abuse – People are pretending to be contractors or utility employees to gain access to houses, and they are targeting older residents. Help spread the word. Have had four of these incidents in Ingleside, and more have happened in the Richmond and Bayview. Call police to check out any suspicious activity or confirm a worker is legit – 553-0123 (or 911 if they actually get in and you realize they’re not legit).

Burglaries picking up in same spot where there were burglaries in Nov/Dec in Miraloma Park area. They think the current crew is related to the people who were arrested in Nov/Dec and are still in jail. Daytime burglaries – same MO as last time: ring bell, kick in door.

Robberies on Mission corridor (Mission/Geneva area especially, but also Mission/Kingston) Police think it’s related to gambling shacks. Many victims uncooperative, not wanting to give information. Increasing patrols late at night. Not just one crew. Robbers look for easy marks – people walking alone, people coming out of bars alone, etc. Some guns and knives; others strong-arm. Report activity (people always hanging out at a particular spot, etc) and be specific when you see it. Even minor details can be very important (like broken taillights). Tell officers to take a report and that the captain said to do it. It takes them a while to shut down gambling shacks, and they need lots of evidence. Working with City Attorney and DA. Can’t say much yet. “Our lucky breaks are you.” Police reports are critical – don’t just send in an email to the station. Call right away when you see activity.

Increase in gang activity on Mission Corridor near Crocker-Amazon. Nortenos of Daly City trying to make a comeback. Recent robbery, retaliatory shooting. Also fights, stabbings. All happening later in night.

Naples & Persia “sideshows” – Cars doing donuts and burnouts, etc — report immediately. Get plates. Hard to catch in the act unless neighbors call it in. Getting a license plate is the key.

Car break-ins still high across city. Stolen property usually sold within half an hour of the theft (on Market/7th).

Parents in the audience brought up pedestrian/traffic issues at Aptos school. Numerous incidents. Working with complex web of constituencies, supervisors, and police because they’re in two supervisory districts and two police districts.

Also, one thing I forgot from my last set of notes: Upper Noe has seen succulent thefts again lately (as have some areas of Bernal). Some people found the thieves on video surveillance. It appears to take place around 3-4am, and the thieves have carts covered with blankets. They put the cuttings inside and replace the blanket. So if you see anyone doing this, call it in. Thieves get ~$7 for them at Flower Market because drought-tolerant landscaping is on the rise.

SAVE THE DATE: The Ingleside Police District’s National Night Out BBQ will be held in Bernal Heights this year – Tuesday, August 4, 5-8pm at the Bernal Heights Recreation Center and Bernal Heights Library. Please save the date for free food and lots of family activities, including the Rec & Park climbing wall, bouncy houses, games, and giveaways. Meet your neighbors and enjoy a summer evening out!

PHOTO: Telstar Logistics