Four teens went on a crime spree near Dolores Park last night, robbing two men and sending one of them to the hospital with stab wounds.
Their first crime occurred in the Castro near 18th and Sanchez streets at 10:39 p.m. Four young males approached a 37-year-old man from behind. One of them grabbed his waist and demanded his backpack and bicycle. Two of the four suspects took his property and fled toward the Mission. The man lost a camera, an iPod and his bicycle.
Twenty minutes later, the group of four approached a 35-year-old man at 15th and Dolores streets. Without warning, one of them stabbed him from behind with a knife. The suspects then took his backpack and fled on foot. The man was taken to the hospital for non-life-threatening injuries.
A few minutes later police apprehended the young criminals, who were in possession of some of the stolen items. Their ages range from 15 to 17 years. Because they are minors, their names will not be released.
On one hand keep these kids away from those they might harm on the other wonder how they ever got to a place in their lives where such actions seemed rational.
Was there a description of the perps? How is anyone supposed to know who to look out for?
It is getting harder to chose to walk or bike or take public transport late at night in the mission. I hope the victims recover quickly. I could have very well been getting home on my bike at that time. Guess its time to start using that car again. 🙁
There is such a misguided sense of liberal ‘social justice’ in San Francisco. Here, the criminal is treated as a victim of ‘the system’ and thus we should take pity on their situation. For all of the city programs, money taxed and spent, you would think we would have at least something good to show for it, but alas, we citizens continue to be beaten and robbed with impunity while our politicians wax poetic about solving poverty before solving crime.
I have been mugged twice on Dolores between 18th and 15th. I hope there will be more police patrolling that area. Its crazy how many people are attacked on that block. And never a cop car to be seen
A basic right of all free people should be walking down the street or to sit on ones own front porch in safety. When law abiding citizens are attacked by non-law abiding citizens the community should demand protection and that the streets be cleared of those who commit such crimes. I feel at times like the streets have been taken over by those who are non-law abiding. The time has come where we should be able to sit on our front porches at night, walk to the local market and back, and allow our children to play in their front yards without the fear of being attacked – regardless of the neighborhood you call home. If local law enforcement can not or worse yet – won’t, then I say call in the National Guard and make our streets safe. Period.
It is not a matter of age. Or race. Or economic status. Or education. It is a matter of conscience. It is obvious that these attackers have none. If you are capable of killing innocent, unsuspecting HUMAN BEINGS for their BELONGINGS, you deserve to be punished… and taught, IN PRISON, the consequences of evil actions. This was not an isolated “unsupervised incident”. This same group of thugs terrorized two unsuspecting citizens against their will TWENTY MINUTES APART … FOR THEIR THINGS. Again, I hope they get the fullest extent of the law. I am not vengeful or spiteful. It is what I would feel about any perpetrator of violence against any unsuspecting victim. It is NOT OK to kill others for things. Period.
First of all, I’d like to say to both the victim and the victim’s friends that what happened is absolutely terrible and completely traumatizing, as well as unacceptable. Anger and a desire for revenge are normal, healthy emotions.
However, as someone who has worked in the juvenile justice system for several years, I can say that trying kids as adults is not a solution to anything. Maybe wishing these kids pain and suffering feels good for people who are angry, and is a rational response, but ruining a kid’s life by leaving him branded a felon, unable to get a job, an education, housing or a vote, completely disempowered, ignorant and poor, is only going to breed more violence and pain. These kids did something terrible, and they need to be taught a lesson. However, we also need to remember that they are human beings, not animals. They are not evil, they are just kids who did a terrible thing. They also probably have had really hard lives, full of poverty, anger, violence and the denial of opportunities for advancement. None of this excuses what they did, but it does explain it.
Reading the comments above saddens me because all I see is dehumanizing rage and bloodthirsty revenge. What do we all really want to happen now? Pain to those teenagers? Or for those teenagers to learn some hard lessons and have an opportunity to change and grow. And maybe to improve our community in the long run rather than just turning into another number in the system, cycling in and out of prison, destroying more lives. Even being tried as juveniles they will suffer, but on the bright side they may get to go to a program where they will get some education and therapy, rather than just a label – “felon”.
Once again, I’m sorry for the victim, no one should ever have to go through what you went through. Nothing can excuse what happened to you. But forgiveness and education go much further than revenge and pain and the dehumanization of our community’s youth.
Wise, rational words. Thanks.
Sorry, you’re wrong. They are animals, with a pack mentality. Cage ’em.
Maybe juveniles shouldn’t be charged as adults for a non-violent crime but in this case I agree w/Marco. This was a very violent crime anybody that can stick a knife into a human being not once but 7 times for a backpack is not human and can never be rehabilitated!
Wether these “young criminals” were black, white, hispanics, asians or whatever race, they deserve to be punished for their crime. It’s so sad to read people trying to justify and falsely protect the youth who go out and commit crime by saying that there is not enough things for them to do. They start blaming the city or the law for not doing enough.
Can we please stop and think of the millions of youth who do not commit this henious crimes and do what is right. Why do people put the blame on the system that works for 90% and is not adhered to by the 10% who know nothing except have fun at the expense of others.
I think where the system is wrong is when they let criminals get free because they are minors. Punishment should meted out to them whether young or old, whatever race, sex, and origin. Then they will learn.
i am pretty sure they will face attempted murder. i went to school with a guy who was arrested in the height district for something similar. four teens drove around and robbed several people, they also stabbed those people. i know that 2 of the robbers are serving 14 year sentences and one is in san quentin as well.
Thanks for posting this. I’d greatly appreciate it if you corrected the facts w/regards to the stabbing. I was the first person in SF to be notified of this– as the victim is practically kin– and one of the first to see him post-surgery. He was stabbed not once, but SEVEN times, five in the back and two in the leg. He was then left for dead.
The injuries were absolutely life-threatening and were it not for the help of two people nearby (heroes in my eyes) who called both the cops and 911, my friend would likely not be alive.
Thanks for your comment,
We didn’t include how many times the victim was stabbed because police didn’t release the information.
The police report indicated that his injuries were non-life threatening at the time the information was release to the press because his condition was stable by then.
At the time this article was written, his injuries were non-life threatening.
Thank you once again for your comments, we really appreciate and I hope your friends recovers completely.
they should be home for dinner
a
@Randy Hauolo: I think you’re offline to make it a purely racial event. Race isn’t the issue, there’s nothing for these teens to do nowadays. After-school programs are being cut, parents are being forced to pay for summer school and with this being SF and all, not all parents can afford supervision for their children when they can barely afford rent. That being said, laws do need to be changed in order to detour the youth from criminal activity. Far too often they received petty punishment for serious crimes.
Sorry but this is 10:30 at night — not summer school. And I’m tired of hearing an excuse that “there’s nothing to do” so I had to go out and stab and rob someone. That’s complete BS. If there’s “nothing to do” then go do some pullups at the park; go to a museum on free museum day; go play soccer; go to the damn library and read a book. Nothing to do so I had to go rob someone. Ya right.
To stab somebody in the back. Wow! This isn’t about culture, youth, or rough backgrounds. It’s time to install the discipline and punishment needed that their parents obviously couldn’t. This isn’t to say they can’t change, but change at the risk of how many more victims is the question.
“Because they are minors, their names will not be released.”
And then the sentence should finish with…..
“and absolutely nothing will happen to them.”
My cousin, one of the victims, was stabbed SEVEN times. Not once. I agree. If they can commit adult crimes, and ALMOST KILL for a backpack, charge them as adults. And that’s NOT “tight”. It’s horrifying. I hope they get the fullest extend of the law.
I hope the beatings and rapings in jail are worth a bike and iPod, fellas.
Why is the map sideways?
Hello Daphei,
The maps is sideways because we cannot use a vertical image as our lead image.
And this is NOT the greatest concern in the matter. REALLY Daphei?
Jeez, the person just asked a question.
Unbelievable. Frankly, I’m amazed this kind of thing happens in SF, but hey, shit happens everywhere. The problem of course (and I know I’m being seriously non-PC) is that black and hispanic kids, yes, I’m assuming that’s what they were and I dare you to prove me wrong, have useless teenage parents who have no clue how to raise kids.
This sounds conservative, but these kinds of kids should be forced into school all summer long and once caught should simply be kept at a rural facility until they learn basic, decent, human behavior.
Also, if we could end the drug war, then we’d have plenty of jail space for the adult aged versions of these punks.
Hello there. I wish you well, but I beg to differ. Not only is your statement ‘not PC’, but it is completely prejudiced and bigoted a statement to make, not to mention totally lacking in compassion.
That’s tight dawg !
Looks like the powers that be at city hall have gotten to missionlocal just like sfgate. 3 shootings in the mission the past week and a half and missionlocal isn’t reporting nothing.
It just gets worse and worse, doesn’t it?
“Because they are minors, their names will not be released.”
I understand that this is the policy because it is believed that their rehabilitation may be retarded by identifying them. But is this really the case? I mean demonstrably the case. Or is it just wishful thinking. I’d like to think that they will somehow get “corrected,” but I’m pessimistic.
These kids are amongst the lowest scum of the earth. In fact they shouldn’t even be classified as minors. If you’re going to go on a crime spree it’s only fitting that your name be outed …..
this city is being taken over by scum.
I hope they are charged as adults for attempted murder at the very least. I know the man that was stabbed and they could have easily killed him! But I am sure they will get a slap on the wrist until next time when the victim actually dies.
I know him too. He has only lived in SF for a month and moved here to start a company. Shame on the scum that did this to him and that other person they robbed.
I really hope you are wrong about the slap on the wrist, but, sadly, I doubt you are.
I hope your friend recovers well, especially from the biggest wound- the fear of walking home & being attacked again.
I hope these pieces of shit get charged as adults.