Mission jewelry stores turn to check cashing

Good morning!

We’re looking at a suspense-filled evening, as the Warriors meet the Lakers for a final, or perhaps not final, game. Be still, my beating heart! And speaking of hearts, and flowers, don’t forget Mother’s Day this Sunday.

Hard-pressed Mission jewelry stores are turning to cash checking and offering credit for the unbanked. “We don’t sell much,” said one jeweler. “We cash a lot of checks.”

Jesus Esperanza, the 41-year-old man arrested last Friday for the killing of his next-door neighbor, 64-year-old Mei Ran Hu, has been charged with murder. They both lived in an affordable housing complex on Duboce Avenue.

Lots of stuff to do this weekend. Go to a performance of South Asian dance or flamenco, or hop on your bike and ride around Richmond. Mothers will get a free dessert at Bissap Baobab.

DA Brooke Jenkins dismissed all charges against SFPD Officer Christopher Flores, who in 2019 shot burglary suspect Jamaica Hampton during a foot chase in the Mission. The DA, citing “exculpatory evidence,” said she cannot “prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Flores did not act in reasonable self-defense.”

See you on Monday,

Sandy