A 57-year-old grocer who brought a strong sense of community to his markets was killed by a driver in the Bayview Friday morning, leaving his family, staff, and customers to mourn the loss of the man they knew as “Gus.” Konstantinos Vardakastanis, known as Gus, was struck by the driver of a silver sedan near Jerrold and Toland streets at 2:17...
An Internal Affairs investigation has led to the arrest of an SFPD officer, Joel Babbs, according to a police statement. The probe was examining a June 2017 report of an officer violating vehicle code. The investigation found that the same officer had filed a false police report about the violation. After the District Attorney reviewed the case, an Internal Affairs...
Homicide A 52-year-old man died from multiple stab wounds at around 1:53 a.m. on Saturday morning at Hampshire and Alameda streets, police report. The San Francisco Medical Examiner identified the man as Demetrius Moore, aged 52. People living in tents on Alameda Street remembered him by the name of “Meech” and said that he had been homeless. He was transported...
Police report a group of four people in their 20s were robbed at gunpoint at 12:30 a.m. Friday on San Carlos and 20th streets. No injuries were reported, but the victims lost three cell phones, three wallets, two tablets, a purse and a key, according to police. Two men, believed to be in their 20s, approached the group of four,...
A pair of trees in front of a recently painted mural on York and 25th streets were removed Thursday, although it’s unclear exactly why — and by whom. “The residents of York Street are heartbroken that two street trees were illegally removed today from York St at 25th,” Ben Glenn, who lives down the street from the trees, wrote in...
More than 100 people turned out for a community meeting on Tasers Tuesday night, first breaking into small groups of roughly 25 each, and then convening in a fiery public comment session that at one point erupted into activists chanting, “No Tasers!” and drowning out Police Commissioner Sonia E. Melara’s calls for order. The police commission has voted against the...
The 911 call: a “transient” loitering in Golden Gate Park, where neighbors have been complaining about narcotics use and noise. I arrive with a baton, some pepper spray and a firearm. But mostly, I’m supposed to use my words. I do. “Sir, you can’t be loitering here,” I say. “I didn’t do anything — I live here,” he shouts. “I...
Police report that a group of three men attacked a 41-year-old woman at Mission Playground at 3:45 p.m. on Monday, sending the woman to the hospital in non-life-threatening condition. The woman was reading at the park on 19th and Linda Streets when a group of men, estimated to be in their late 20s, approached her, began yelling at her, and...
Police report a 44-year-old man was stabbed at 12:44 a.m. on Monday inside someone’s home. The incident occurred on 20th Street between South Van Ness Avenue and Capp Street, the home of the 50-year-old suspect. The victim had been staying there as a guest when the suspect attacked him for a reason unknown to police. The victim was transported to...
Police report two robberies and one assault took place in the Mission yesterday. A 58-year-old woman was robbed of her purse at gunpoint at 24th and Capp streets at around 11:30 p.m. on Thursday. The woman was walking her dog when a man, believed to be in his 30s, pointed a gun at her and grabbed her purse. The two...
Police report that the Mission saw two hot prowl burglaries — that’s when someone breaks into a home while the occupant is inside — on Monday night, resulting in property loss but no injuries. On Monday at around 7 p.m. at 21st and Folsom streets, a resident left his front window open while he slept. The next morning he awoke...
Police report the Mission saw three drive-by shootings over the weekend — two on Saturday and one on Sunday. Only non-life-threatening injuries were reported. It’s unclear if the shootings were related. At around 2:55 a.m on Saturday, a 21-year-old man was shot on Mission Street between 17th and 18th streets. He was transported to the hospital in non-life-threatening condition. The...
A man holding a knife to his own throat elicited a large police response Sunday morning at 23rd and Mission streets, according to eyewitnesses. Around 10:20 a.m. Sunday, witness David Ortiz described seeing a man who looked like he might have been around 60 years old and homeless in the middle of the street on 23rd and Mission streets, holding...
The San Francisco Police Department will nearly quadruple the number of foot patrols operating from Mission Police Station, which covers the Mission and Castro districts, starting Sept. 9, Chief William Scott announced today at a press conference. The department would not release the number of foot patrols currently operating in the Mission, but did say that right now there...
A man and a woman were pepper sprayed at 16th Street and South Van Ness Avenue yesterday afternoon, police report. The victims, both in their fifties, were transported to the hospital in non-life-threatening condition. At around 2:10 p.m., an argument broke out between one of the victims and one of the suspects. The suspect then left and came back with a...
