A lesson to learn from this weekend’s crime? Don’t let your guard down when a stranger asks for the time. It could be a trick.
A 42-year-old man was robbed of his cellphone near Duboce and Valencia streets just after midnight on Monday. The suspect, a 25-year-old man, asked the victim for the time. Then he pulled out a gun, demanded the victim’s phone, and ran off, according to police reports.
On Saturday, it was three against one. The robbers, males between the ages of 15 and 20, approached the victim, who was walking near 24th and Mission streets, just before 7 p.m. One suspect demanded the 24-year-old’s jewelry. Then another pushed him down so the third suspect could take the victim’s jewelry, police said.
No arrests have been made. Police are still looking for the robbers.
Those are some creative robbers. Asking the time is a brilliant and safe way to see if the phone is worth robbing. Most people now rely on their phone for the time and don’t wear a watch, and what better way to cause a stranger to whip it out?
So now not only are watches classy, they might keep you from getting robbed too.
Curious as to how the victim let his guard down, and how not having let his guard down would have stopped someone with a gun from robbing him? Did he go off into a dark alley with the assailant before giving him the time?
Growing up in the mission that trick has been used on me and also my friends when we we’re younger. Maybe when the guy pulled out his phone the suspect liked the phone and pulled out a gun? Who knows just be careful. I usually never know the time. 🙂