I've been writing in the newsletter and speaking at community meetings about car break-ins for many weeks. We know the criminals are breaking into several parked cars in a row. We know they smash out the windows, but not opening the doors, so alarms don’t sound. We know that “shaved keys” are sometimes used to steal cars. We know from some witness accounts, that the criminals are using cars to drive in and away from their target locations.
Ingleside plainclothes teams made a significant arrest early this morning. The suspect was initially spotted at Diamond and Surrey (Glen Park) as he looked into parked cars. He was then observed at Harper and Laidley, where he was followed into Noe Valley to 28th Street and Sanchez from a distance. The suspect was able to quickly steal a car and drive off. Officers attempted to pull over the suspect, but he sped off. The attempted traffic stop was terminated due the suspect’s reckless driving behavior. The suspect then drove onto highway 101. The CHP found the suspect in South San Francisco, where he crashed into a guard rail.
The suspect was on felony probation for a stolen car. He had two shaved keys and suspected narcotics in his possession.
What makes this significant, besides being a great arrest, is how the suspect covered a wide range of territory and what actions he took to achieve his goal. He travelled from Glen Park to the Noe Valley to case cars and eventually to steal a car. He wasn’t committing crimes of opportunity; he was “on a mission.” We don’t know if he was going to use that stolen car to return to the other parked cars to break into them and make a quick get away. This was just one person, but there certainly are others. We ask you to be vigilant and report suspicious persons and activity to the police.
Thank you,
Captain Louis Cassanego
