When a man dressed in black approached the El Tonayense taco truck near 14th and Harrison streets around 12:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Irma Rodriguez thought he was just a regular customer.
“How can I help you?” Rodriguez was ready to write the man’s order in her notebook, while her colleague was busy preparing food behind her.
The man hesitated. “Give me the money,” he said.
“I don’t have money,” replied Rodriguez.
“I know you do,” the man said.
Then he took out a gun and pointed it at Rodriguez.
Rodriguez felt the tension. She handed over all her cash in her register. The assailant took it, and the tip jar near the window, before fleeing and hopping into a waiting car that headed north.
Rodriguez’s colleague tried to take a picture, but he was too nervous to find his phone quickly enough. By the time he got ahold of it, the robber was out of sight.
Rodriguez estimated the total loss is around $500. She starts every day with $200 in change, a habit formed over the four years and nine-hour days. The truck operates daily from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
El Tonayense’s food truck has been selling tacos, burritos and other Mexican fast food near Best Buy for the last 17 years.
Rodriguez said that, two months ago, the truck was ransacked after being parked there overnight.
“I am not sure if it’s the same one. But that person broke the window and the lock, took the camera, soda and everything in the truck,” said Rodriguez.
It was the Mission Police District’s 19th recorded armed robbery of the year. The number is similar to 2022 (20 cases) and 2021 (18 cases) in the first two months of the year, but slightly higher than pre-pandemic tallies.
During the pandemic, the number of reported robberies with guns in the Mission Police District soared from 85 cases in 2019 to 158 cases in 2022. Overall robberies, however, decreased from 491 to 404 cases.
Maybe the Taco truck should accept only credit cards from now on with a sign: “we carry no cash”.
I havee we been going to that BEST BUY N THAT SAME TACO TRUCK SINCE EARLY 2000’s& I am horrified & DISGUSTED SOMEONE would rob them in broad daylight w a GUN N THST LADY IS THE KINDEST SWEETEST LADY! It’s sickening that PERSON PROB DID IT JUSG YO DO IT OR FOR DRUGS! I don’t know WHO EOILD BE THAT DESPERADO OR BRAZEN OR STUPID TO ROB A TACO TRUCK AT LUNCHTIME ESP RIGHT THERE WHERE USUALLY HELLA TRAFFIC N POLICE PRESENCE AT BEST BUY!!! HAS TO BE AN OUTTA TOWN LOSER/crackhead like Wtf is WRONG W SOCIETY N ITS JUST GONE SO BAD N PEOPLE ARE MORE DESPERATE THSN EVER I GUESS
You’re parsing the words in such a way that doesn’t align with reality . Most crimes with the exception of homicide never get reported since the beginning of the pandemic.
Did anyone speak to people – merchants in Chinatown ?
The looting en masse TWICE in Union Square — Which is now decimated — I’ve wriiten before in respect to being in Walgreens , and CVS . I was in Walgreens three times while it was being looted. I took pictures, and video with my phone . Stores were being looted for almost two years . Neither of the stores mentioned ever reported the looting’s as they knew nothing could or would be done, and if a customer ever tried to intervene the workers would plead with you not to interfere for two reasons . 1. You could get physically harmed if the thugs were carrying . 2. If you interfered ,and something happened to the crooks they could sue you, and in San Francisco that’s not a stretch . I spoke to Walgreen employees on a couple of occasions . They claimed the stores were being looted on average two to three times a day, everyday ! So much for statistics on theft in the retail sector . How many were arrested when Union Square got hit twice , first during BLM protest, and again in concert in November 2021 . They captured six people – as was report – in the November 2021 heist of the high market stores in Union Square . Do we know who these people were, and if they are in prison ? NO !
Everything is hidden for political reasons , you know it, the people know it .
In respect to violent crime ,and attempted robbery I was personally attacked by three men on the bus. One was stealing my wallet out of back pocket while the one in front of me elbowed me in the rips. I went to hospital , two fractured ribs. This is all the the buses cameras I’m sure . Did I report it ,NO !
I’ll write ad nauseum . A large majority of crimes are not reported unless it has to be for optics “ Police arrest man for the murder of xxx “ ie. Homicides . That’s about it. I was a single parent to my daughters born in the 1980’s. This is not the same city they grew up in , thank God …
A. Retail crime is a result of income inequality
B. WallBanks are insured so they don’t care about reimbursable theft which places the burden of corporate Private Property Issues on Tax Payer$$$ Public Safety Funds!
C. When people don’t bother to read between the lines they Buy Echo Chamber Lies
D. All of the above apply when neoliberal conservacons control public discourse Xx🕺🏽
GeekGurl?
So let me get this straight. You are upset about crime (we all can agree) and insist most crimes are not reported (anecdotal stories are not facts), then you describe being mugged and did not report it? (why the heck not?)
W. G – why did you not report your mugging?
The more reported crimes, the more attention it will get from City Hall.
It’s pretty low to rob a taco truck.
“The law, in its majestic equality, forbids rich and poor alike to sleep under bridges, to beg in the streets, and to steal their tacos”.
Paraphrased from ‘Anatole France’