SFist Blotter

A rare Wednesday blotter, because these items are too interesting to wait until Friday!

We missed this story the first time it happened -- but on Tuesday, a man was convicted of castrating and killing his father at a Mission SRO back in October 2004. The son was high on crack at the time and said he was angry with his father for not giving him a better life (even though the father was nice enough to let the son stay with him at the SRO rent-free). After the jury rendered its verdict, the bailiff refused to let him hug his mother goodbye, at which point (and in front of the jury) the son flipped out, slapped the bailiff on the face and started shouting abuse. Maybe not the move of a man planning to appeal the verdict, huh?

Did you guys read the articles a few months ago about the crazy neighbor in the Little Hollywood section of San Francisco? Donald Bertone was always playing loud salsa music and blaring police radio transmissions in the neighborhood, videotaping his neighbors, vandalizing other people's property, and leaving ammo on his front porch? Bertone's also been accused of writing "KKK" on his own house to scare his African-American neighbors and has surrounded his house with barbed wire. (He also ran for supervisor in 2000, just like Chris Daly.) Well, on Sunday night, there was an explosion and fire at his house, which damaged a motorcycle, car, and jet skis on his back lawn, and burned down part of his garage. Since Bertone had live ammo and lots of gasoline in his house, the neighbors aren't sure if it was an accident or if Bertone deliberately set his house on fire.