Metal thieves struck again over the weekend, this time lifting an historic church bell from the plaza in front of St. Mary's Cathedral on Geary Boulevard sometime in between Saturday night and the start of Sunday morning services. The 4-foot-high bell was previously salvaged from a fire that burned down the Old St. Mary's Cathedral roughly half a century ago, so it is something of a priceless artifact for the church. more ›

We're getting word of the second semi-violent petty theft in a couple of days in the Excelsior District -- and the third or fourth in the city in recent weeks involving a gold chain getting ripped from someone's throat -- and we hope this isn't the start of a new trend. A 76-year-old woman was walking near Excelsior Avenue and London Street just after 5 p.m. last night when she was attacked, shoved to the ground, and robbed of a gold necklace by two women in their 20s. The suspects ran to a nearby vehicle and sped away. more ›

Sometime between Friday night and Saturday morning, someone stole the Harvey Milk plaque just outside the Castro Street Muni station. SFist talked to District 8 Supervisor Scott Wiener who told us, "All of the sudden it wasn't there anymore." Making it more remarkable, the plaque (which dates back to the '90s) was "bolted in cement." The brazen act of thievery might also provide his district with an "opportunity to redo the overall area...possibly with some public artwork." more ›

Details are few, but the westbound portion of I-580 was completely shut down by the CHP at 2:45 this afternoon as police are searching for a suspect in an attempted robbery and shooting. A witness tells the Tribune that around 2 p.m. a car pulled up alongside a woman walking on the 4000 block of MacArthur Boulevard, demanded her purse and then shot her twice in the legs. As far as we understand, the freeway remains closed between High Street and 35th Avenue. There's no estimated time for the reopening of the freeway, and traffic is being redirected onto Macarthur Boulevard. More as this develops... [Tribune] more ›

At around 8:45 p.m. Wednesday near the intersection of Brookdale Avenue and Santos Street, near the Cow Palace, two young folks, ages 15 and 19, were robbed on a Muni bus. According to BCN (via SF Appeal), "The two teens...were on the bus when the suspect approached and took an iPod from the 15-year-old," which is when the suspect, described as being a man in his 20s, exited the bus. The two women followed the suspect, with the eldest trying to call the police, until "the suspect grabbed her phone and then ran away." more ›

A "star" of the local theater scene in Half Moon Bay who had supposedly given up a life of crime after a previous string of bank robberies in the 80s, suddenly returned to his bank-robbing ways and on Friday a judge sentenced him to 105 years to life under California's three-strikes law. John Alexander, 58, once robbed a doughnut shop in 1979 (he was armed, and caught) and in 1986 he robbed a series of 15 banks without the use of a weapon. This time, after a decade out of prison and living a quiet life, running a handyman business and acting and building sets for the community theater in Half Moon Bay, Alexander had some kind of personality breakdown, possibly induced by drug use, in which he robbed at least 10 banks in multiple counties. more ›

We've heard of dom/sub relationships, but this is taking the dynamic a bit too far. A woman had her vehicle stolen at gunpoint this morning by a man she met at the Power Exchange, a sex club in the Tenderloin. The incident happened just outside the city's infamous venue of slap and tickle at around 4 a.m today. more ›

Raven Stewart, 26, and Lache Rodriguez, 24, were arrested on Friday in connection with a series of car burglaries in Emeryville and Berkeley. They are suspected in at least five smash and grabs, and they even brought along a 4-month-old infant for the fun. Charming. more ›

At around 3pm on Monday, a clothing store on the 200 block of Grant was robbed at gunpoint. A woman and two men entered the store and forced the female employees into a closet. "One of the victims got into a struggle with one of the suspects, a woman in her mid-20s, and suffered minor injuries that left a mark on her neck," reports SF Appeal. The thugs got away with clothing and cash. Please direct any suspect information to the Police Department's anonymous tip line at 415-575-4444. [Appeal] more ›

A robbery on the 3400 block of Geary Boulevard turned exceptionally grim this morning after a man was brutally beaten with a hammer during the home invasion. "Two suspects broke down the front door of the home and began to take items. One of the suspects encountered the 45-year-old victim and demanded money from him," reports KTVU. "The victim began to struggle with the intruders and was hit in the head and knees several times with a hammer." The victim, now in stable condition, was treated at SF General. more ›

Two robberies were reported near each other and within five minutes of each other Tuesday morning in the Tenderloin. First, at about 4:25 a.m. at Golden Gate Avenue and Polk Street, A 70-year-old man was approached from behind by a guy who demanded his belongings. "The victim refused, and a second suspect pointed a gun at him and he eventually gave up the bag, along with his cellphone and wallet." Described as "black men in their 20s," the two men, along with a third, fled on foot. more ›

A woman was violently robbed Wednesday afternoon at Bush and Kearny. "The victim was standing at the corner of Bush and Kearney [sic] streets and listening to music when she was struck in the head from behind around 2:27 p.m.," reports SF Examiner. A second person then gabbed the cellphone from her hands; both suspects fled northbound on Montgomery Street toward California Street. [Ex] more ›

The mentally unstable guy who stormed a Corte Madera Bank of America on Monday, waving around a pellet gun, raving about unfair bank practices, and holding nine people hostage for six hours, has been charged with burglary and false imprisonment. more ›

Hayes Valley / Rape: Police are in search of a man suspected of raping a woman near Octavia and Market at around 3:30 a.m. on Sunday morning. The alleged rapist was about 22 years old with a "light complexion," weighs about 160 pounds and almost 5 feet 10 inches tall. The suspect has a tree tattoo on his left forearm and was wearing a gray button down shirt with a blue hat at the time of the rape. The victim reportedly knew her attacker. [BCN/Appeal] more ›

While en route downtown via a Muni train bus last night, a man was robbed of his smartphone after two men brandished a gun. According to SF Weekly, "The two men got onto the bus and sat next to the victim, and started 'small talk' with the man, buttering him up by complimenting his phone." When the victim tried to put his phone away, the two meanies showed off their gun, which prompted the guy to hand over his phone. The two men swiftly took off after the, ahem, "iRobbery." [SFW] more ›

Two women who were sitting in a car last night in the Balboa Terrace neighborhood were approached by two robbers with a stun gun at around 7:30 p.m. One of the men opened the driver's side door and shocked the driver, then the passenger, making off with their purses containing cash and credit cards. more ›

Excelsior / Attempted Robbery: Always the bearer of the best crime stories, the Examiner's Mike Aldax today tells us about the victim of an attempted robbery on Friday who despite a beating, a ripped off shirt, and multiple attempts by two thugs to take his wallet, would not let the shit go. They even put a gun to his head, but nope. They fled the scene, he kept his wallet. We might have given it to them, but then we're not HARD CORE. [Examiner] more ›

On Saturday night, a home invasion robbery occurred at a home in the 2500 block of Golden Gate Avenue at 9:30 p.m.-ish. "A 21-year-old man told police he was letting a friend out when four men rushed the door and broke in, demanding money," reports BCN (via SF Appeal). "The victim was pistol-whipped by the intruders, who stole an electronic gaming system, a wallet and a cell phone before fleeing in a newer-model Jaguar." No arrests have been made. Tips about the case should be directed to San Francisco police at 415-575-4444. more ›

Talk about your unhappy meals: An armed gunman sporting a ski mask "walked into a Berkeley MacDonald’s prior to its opening early Wednesday, locking employees in a freezer before dropping a trail of money as he fled the scene," reports KTVU. more ›

We find this story odd and disturbing: 28-year-old Matthew Martinez, a local chef, was walking near 8th and Mission when a staggering man holding a beer can came up to him and asked if he could buy a cigarette. Martinez gave him one, and the guy strangely gestures to his shirt pocket which has a wad of bills sticking out of it. Martinez says he took out a single dollar and pushed the rest back in his pocket, but immediately he was thrown up against a car, handcuffed, and taken to police headquarters where he sat for three hours before being told what he was arrested for doing. more ›

News is just coming out of the Oakland PD today about a robbery and triple rape on Saturday night, near the West Oakland BART station. Two men sexually assaulted a young woman just after 12:30 a.m. as she was on her way home from the BART station, near 11th and Market Streets in Oakland, forced her to an ATM at gunpoint, had her make a withdrawal, then made her take them back to her apartment where they sexually assaulted her two roommates. more ›

Five arrests were made in connection with a series of recent pepper spray robberies in San Francisco. Jalil Leon Jones, 27, of Hayward, and Troyetta Carpenter, 18, of San Francisco, as well as three of other juvenile suspects were pinched for "suspicion of robbery, possession of stolen property, conspiracy, probation violation, and possession of methamphetamine." more ›

Police are investigating a series of robberies involving pepper spray throughout San Francisco. The first attack happened on the 200 block of Florida Street in the Mission District around 9 p.m. on Wednesday. "Two men grabbed a 41-year-old woman's cell phone, sprayed the chemical irritant in her face and kicked her before running away." more ›

Although SFPD has yet to confirm the story -- we called them and they're still "busy with last night's World Series chaos" -- word is that the Wells Fargo Bank in Noe Valley (4045 24th Street) was robbed this afternoon. Catherine Bergstrom (@CatherineBerg) sent out the following Twitter messages: "The #NoeValley Branch of Wells Fargo was robbed earlier this afternoon. Cops are still on the scene" and "Undercover cops galore & nervous Wells employee is telling [people] that the branch is temp closed." more ›

Mission / Shooting: Just after midnight last night, a man was shot three times at the corner of South Van Ness and 26th. Two suspects were seen fleeing the scene in a two-door Pontiac, and police later detained them. They are still being held for questioning. The victim's injuries are believed to be non-life-threatening. [SF Appeal] more ›

The God-fearing folks at San Francisco's St. Michael's Korean Catholic Church have more to fear this week: bell thievery. Over the weekend, it seems, someone stole their massive, church bell that weighs between 400 to 600 pounds. How rude. more ›

Early this morning, San Francisco played host to all sorts of mischief. Let's see: more ›

Police are looking for a pair of thirtysomething African American men who robbed a liquor store on the 1100 block of Leavenworth last night. As the Examiner reports, the two threatened the 27-year-old Asian man behind the counter, emptied the cash register, and went into the dude's pockets as well before taking some stuff off the shelves and fleeing. The cashier was not injured. more ›

At around 9 p.m. on Thursday on the 3000 block of Fulton, a 40-year-old man approached a woman sitting in her car, brandished a gun and demanded her property. The suspect, according to SFPD, managed to swipe her iPad and several other items. The victim drove off as the suspect looked for other items. No injuries were reported. No arrested have been made. more ›

The fuzz is on the hunt for an elderly rapscallion who allegedly robbed a downtown bank on Monday afternoon. Bay City News (via SF Examiner) reports: "Police spokesman Sgt. Troy Dangerfield said a middle-aged man entered the bank in the 100 block of California Street at about 11:40 a.m., threatened the bank manager with a gun and ordered everyone to the ground." more ›