An early-morning incident at a San Francisco Safeway grocery store left a security guard seriously injured — stabbed by a robbery suspect, as well as bitten by the alleged shoplifter's dog.
San Francisco Police Department spokesperson Sergeant Michael Andraychak says that the incident went down at around 12:30 this morning, at the Safeway located at 735 7th Avenue, which is between Fulton and Cabrillo Streets.
According to Andraychak, a man in his 30s was attempting to steal merchandise from the store when a security guard, also a man in his 30s, attempted to intervene.
In the confrontation that followed, not only did the alleged thief stab the guard in the back, but "the suspect's dog bit the victim numerous times on the legs and buttock," Andraychak says.
The attack only ended when other store staffers joined the fray, Andraychak, "and the suspect attempted to stab them before he fled."
The guard was left with life-threatening injuries in the incident, Andraychak says, and was rushed to an area hospital for treatment.
Police managed to track down the suspect, Andraychak says. He was detained and arrested, and Tuesday morning was identified by police as 34-year-old SF resident Michael Pardo.
According to Andraychak, Pardo's booking charges include those for "Attempted Homicide, Robbery, Assault, Assault with Caustic Chemicals, [and] Inflicting Great Bodily Injury while committing a felony." As of Tuesday morning, police had not provided any details on if the dog was also apprehended at the time of the suspect's arrest.
This is the second such violent shoplifting incident to occur at a San Francisco Safeway in recent days. As previously reported, a pair of alleged shoplifters was arrested at the Ocean Beach Safeway just last Sunday, after police say they beat a security guard with a chain when he tried to prevent them from stealing items from the store.
