Help bring bike thief “The Twister” to justice

Jefferson from Mission Bicycle Company recently contacted us with the following warning:

There are so many bikes stolen in this city it’s ridiculous. Most stolen bikes were:

  • Not locked up at all but left in a “secure” places like a garage.
  • Not locked up with a quality lock (cheap generic u-lock or cable lock)
  • Not locked up properly (Front wheel only, locked up to a wooden rail, etc.).

This past week we saw two bikes stolen within around 24 hour hours of each other. Both locked up properly, with quality u-locks. Both were twisted open.

  • Wednesday 8/27  8:30 PM – 3:00 AM – 18th Street between Church & Sanchez
  • Thursday 8/28  10:00 PM – 12:30 AM – Alabama between 19th & 20th.

If anyone hears of a bike stolen using a similar method, I would encourage them to file a police report and send a tweet to https://twitter.com/SFPDBikeTheft.

Let’s work together to nail “The Twister”!!!

What kind of creep steals an ice cream cake from Ben & Jerry’s?

From the surveillance footage at Ben & Jerry’s on Haight, this kind of creep:

Gotta admit, he has a real cakestealin’ look about him.

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Thieves stole 20 iPads and numerous teachers’ wallets from local school

A friend who works at Glen Park Elementary, the school, sent in this information. This security camera image is a clue.

Gunmen are robbing bars in the Mission now

It happened just before closing. Mission Local reports:

While two of the suspects kept the patrons guarded and on the floor, the third suspects stole the tip jar and cash from the register.

The suspect also asked one victim to hand turn out his pockets and took what cash he had.  In addition some credit cards were taken, Esparza said.

After stealing one more purse, all three suspects fled.   Witnesses told police that the robbers drove off in a maroon, four-door sedan. [link]

Holy shit.

The police blotter only identified the bar as being on the 400 block of Potrero Avenue, so Mission Local suspects it was probably Sadie’s Flying Elephant.

After the jump, an album of my favorite photos of hanging out at that bar (whatever it’s called) late at night, over the years, usually just before closing:

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Knife Crime: Stabbing victim attacked by 5 men at 16th and Mission

An unidentified man was attacked by five male suspects at 16th and Mission Streets around 3 a.m. Friday morning, August 1st. According to police, the suspects took the man’s cellphone and cash, and stabbed the guy in the leg before fleeing the scene.

The victim was taken to the hospital and was in stable condition as of Friday evening, but police had not yet made any arrests in the case.

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A discount arsonist attempted to burn down Foods Co.

On Monday evening, a suspect armed with a knife and some lighter fluid stepped into the Foods Co. grocery store on Folsom & 14th Streets, and attempted to set fire to the place.

The incident occurred around 6:30 p.m. on Monday evening — prime dinnertime shopping hours for everyone’s favorite discount grocer. According to fire department officials, the suspect entered and “started pouring lighter fluid on the floor.” Bay City News has more:

The suspect was waving a knife and set the floor on fire, police said.

The fire department responded and quickly put the fire out. Two of the store’s employees were taken to a hospital for treatment of smoke inhalation, police said.

Police quickly arrested the suspect, identified as Shaun Lavell Jones, 24. Jones was born a male but identifies as a female, police spokesman Officer Albie Esparza said.

According to police, Jones was booked on suspicion of burglary and arson. It is currently unclear why exactly anyone would want to burn down a grocery store with such delightful soda can displays.

[via: SFAppeal]

[Photo via: Street View]

This creep was arrested for impersonating police, kidnapping immigrants for sexual assault [updated]

Earlier this month, 35-year-old Jeffrey Bugai (pictured) was arrested by San Francisco police for allegedly impersonating a police officer in order to kidnap immigrants with the intent to commit sexual assault. Bugai allegedly decked himself out in a vaguely cop-looking outfit and drove a white Crown Victoria. He was reportedly working in the Mission and Ingleside, where he would prey on newly arrived immigrants with limited English and threaten to deport them.

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28-year-old man shot and killed early Saturday morning at 16th and Valencia

Does anybody still go to Skylark?

Around last call on Saturday morning, 28-year-old Benjamin Martinez was shot multiple times near the corner of 16th and Valencia Streets. He was taken to San Francisco General where he later succumbed to his injuries.

According to Bay City News, police responded to the scene around 1:30 a.m. Saturday. The shooter fled the scene and SFPD has only described the suspect as “a male suspect with a gun.”

Bartender Derek Hypieper from Gestalt just down the street told Mission Local that his doorman heard multiple gunshots, but was unaware someone had been killed. SFPD also blocked off 16th Street and an ambulance was spotted by the 22-Fillmore stop outside Yoyo Restaurant.

Mission Local also noted that a memorial popped up in front of El Cafetazo late Saturday afternoon reading,”Rest in Paradise Benny.” Anyone else who may have spotted anything is encouraged to call SFPD directly at (415) 553-1145.

Back in 2012, a 20-person brawl broke out on the same corner around 2 a.m. on a Tuesday morning and left local kitchen legend Caesar Chuc on life support. Chuc passed away a few days later at San Francisco General.

Some asshole in a silver BMW with license plate 5SHC554 just chucked this empty Arizona Mucho Mango can onto 20th Street, allegedly

Musta got more wasted at Trick Dog than intended, needed to rehydrate by slammin’ a half liter of high fructose corn syrup. Like a boss.

Poop problem

Local renter David Enos experienced an utter bummer the other day:

Someone pooped through our front gate somehow, starting mid-way up, I guess it must have been accomplished with butt resting against the bars in a standing position.  How do you clean this up? We don’t have access to a hose, so I started by throwing a bucket of hot water on it from a few feet away.  A fine mist of water and feces hung in the air.  I went back out with some powdered Ajax and sprinkled it on the remaining mess.  The wind picked up and my throat burned with inhaled bleach.

Pretty awful, but… read on for the secondary problem.