San Francisco police on Friday named a suspect in a series of racist incidents that targeted the home of a longtime Black Alamo Square resident and dog walker, Terry Williams, whose family had said they felt abandoned by the city in the aftermath of the alleged hate crimes.
April Martin Chartrand, a 67-year-old Black city resident, left a series of racist packages at the home of beloved dog walker Williams, according to a communiquรฉ sent by the police department today asking for the publicโs help in locating the suspect.
Williams said he got a call today about Chartrand from the police chief, and upon seeing her image realized she is a neighbor and also lives on Alamo Square. He says he had one negative interaction with her years ago, which he believes resulted in Chartrandโs resentment toward him.
About five or six years ago, he says, Chartrand was breaking plates into tiny shards on the corner outside her apartment, and leaving them under a tree to prevent dogs from urinating there, Williams said.
โI said โWhat the hell are you doing, donโt do that, I have dogs!โโ Williams said. โIโm an animal lover, I donโt care if youโre Black or not โฆ she never liked me after that.โ
Williams said that, for the past several years, Chartrand would โmug me, give me a mean lookโ when they would pass each other in the neighborhood.
Williams reported receiving a package on April 26 with items like a black doll with a noose around its neck and a list of racial slurs against Black people, and on May 5 received another similar package that included KKK imagery. Police called the first incident a hate crime. Soon after, his house went up in flames while his elderly parents were on the top floor โ many connected the fire with the racist incidents, but the fire department says the cause of the blaze remains undetermined.
In late May, police announced they had a โpossible suspect,โ then in June released the photo of a โperson of interestโ in the hate crimes. Since then, Williams told Mission Local he had heard very little from the city about his case or getting support for housing in San Francisco.
Police put out a communiquรฉ today seeking the general publicโs assistance in locating the 67-year-old Chartrand, and announced they have obtained a warrant for Chartrandโs arrest.
A police source tells Mission Local that Chartrand was served with a DNA seizure warrant on Aug. 14. She purportedly attempted to flee and was chased down, and the DNA sample was obtained. A family member reported Chartrand as missing since August 23.
A call to Chartrandโs number went straight to voicemail.
Today, learning about the arrest warrant โ though no arrest has yet been made โ Willliams said he feels a sense of relief.
โWhat I feel is that I can finally breathe. Now I know who the person is,โ Williams said, though he expressed disbelief that the hate mail came from a fellow Black person. โI have a lot of mixed emotions โฆ What was on your mind? You wanna make this a racial thing, thatโs crazy.โ
Chartrand, according to her social media, has a masterโs degree from San Francisco State University and is a dominatrix. She calls herself an artist, designer, and researcher who has created โDNA Streetstyle.โ
On Aug. 11, Chartrand wrote a post condemning racism, after a run-in with a woman who yelled at her in the street of the Mission District.
โI ran out of there so fast … it was very triggering, yet again,โ Chartrand wrote. โThis kind of thing is so triggering and just scary beyond anything I can say here. So, use this as a lesson to open your perceptions about the undercurrents of racism and bigotry that is pervasive in all of society and also in San Francisco (USA).โ
Chartrand also said she was met by โmass racism in every aspect of my lifeโ while living in San Francisco since 1980.
Additional reporting by Joe Eskenazi
Police have asked anyone with information about this case to call 415-575-4444 or text a tip to TIP411 and start the message with SFPD.
Is anyone actually surprised? The whole story was very Suspicious from the start, and I I would bet thereโs even more to the story between the two main characters than we know as well
I think a lot of people were surprised. People who want to pretend racism doesn’t exist maybe not, it fits their narrative this time, maybe.
“and I I would bet thereโs even more to the story between the two main characters than we know as well” – Based on? The color of their skin means they’re both in league, he paid her to burn his house down? Spit it out. What are you basing that on if anything?
you cannot make this up! i hope lesson learned for all news organizations, all trolls, always take two steps back before making any assumptions
Ms. Chartrand’s LinkedIn is really something to behold. She’s gone down the rabbit hole.
This case is interesting because it seemed like such a slam dunk for a hate crime charge, but is now more complex. It would appear she used racism as a cudgel, as expression art, and as a psychological and social experiment. But race likely had nothing to do with her motive.
I felt there was something suspect about the story from the start. I’ve lived in S F. All my life. I have never experienced any racism like that. Maybe a few nuts here and there. But always very versatile like Berkeley, ca The 50s, thru late 80s. S.F. was a very family friendly oriented place to live. From H.P. to Mission, Western addiction, Lakeview area. Everyone just about knew each other by way of church or some other association. It was all Love!
Her last post on Instagram (from Aug 22, reported missing Aug 23), is a selfie of her and the GGB with Moby’s Troubles So Hard audio. Doesn’t look great.
Ooh Lordy, troubles so hard
Ooh Lordy, troubles so hard
Don’t nobody know my troubles but God
Don’t nobody know my troubles but God
Went down the hill
Other day
My soul got happy
and stayed all day
Shocking! Not really. These random acts of idiocy always spring the media into action. A neighborhood dog Walker is targeted. An African American non profit is vandalized etcโฆ. If you watch the local television news youโd be convinced that the KKK are active in SF and will soon be marching down Market Street. The reality is there are idiots and scammers everywhere. Racism does exist but the media wouldnโt have much to write about without the specter of widespread racism
Campers,
The Other Black Person not helping here is Mayor London Breed.
She could put this guy and his Family into quality housing tomorrow but refuses ?
In an Election Year ?
60 days from Tuesday November 5th 2024 ?
Does she want to lose Black Voters or does she think she has this sewn up ?
C’mon, London … let us read in the Chronicle Sunday that you found a place for him.
Please.
Please.
Please’
You can’t solve the Gaza conflict but you can do this and we all know it.
h.