Capt. Michael Yalon: Police Beat

Lottery Scam is Back

Several local residents have called to report being contacted by out-of-state companies identifying them as "big winners." This time, it was the Canadian lottery - not the real one, but the victims don't know that.

In the lottery scam, an official looking document generally arrives in the mail addressed by name. "Congratulations," it says, "you are a big winner!" We are holding your prize of $72,000 and will FedEx it directly to you - U.S. tax free."

The catch comes next, though, as Canadian taxes must be paid and the "winner" is instructed to wire the northern government's share immediately, usually to a post office address.

One prospective victim even received telephone calls from Canada just to make sure she understood her windfall. A regular lottery player, she wasn't sure she had even entered this one. The woman offered to have the taxes deducted from her winnings but the person on the other end of the phone said it was illegal to mix funds like that in Canada.

"I understand," the intended victim replied. "Why don't you give me your name, telephone number and address and I'll call you back when I get the money together?" Another good idea, but it took three more tries to pry the information from the fake lottery official.

The "lucky winner" passed the information on to the SFPD and our check revealed no such address. The telephone number worked, though, and a recorded voice cheerfully referred us to a 916 phone sex number!

Congratulations to this alert non-victim. There are many variations to the scam, but she remembered two cardinal rules of the lottery game: you can't win a contest you did not enter and no legitimate contest requires a winner to pay up front.

If you're wondering how con artists get player names and addresses in the first place, the answer is quite simple. They just buy contestant lists from legitimate companies. The more you play, the more likely you too may get a pitch from the dark side.

ATM Theft Extraordinaire

Hardly a day goes by without an ATM customer being robbed somewhere in San Francisco. Sometimes it's a "snatch and grab." Threats are often involved. But this case includes neither stealth nor violence.

Instead, the ATM theft in the parking lot at Ocean Avenue's Beep's Burgers consisted of the removal of the entire automated teller machine itself!

Apparently using a truck and chain arrangement, culprits pulled the unit right off its mounting bolts. No alarm sounded and no witnesses have come forward.

So if you want an old fashioned split-and-fried hotdog, Beep's still the place. But bring cash, because the green stuff is no longer on the menu.

"Columbians" Back in Town

Regular readers might recall past references to the "Columbians." No, these are not leaders of the much vaunted drug cartels. Instead, to law enforcement and gem dealers, the term refers to groups of crafty, well-drilled jewelry thieves generally coming from any number of Central and South American nations.

Columbians were the first to get into the business and became famous for their schools of pick-pocketry and theft. Their name remains generically attached to modern practioners of the evil art.

Originally, the "modus operandi" called for the heist to occur while the victim was distracted and not paying attention to his valuables. Thieves would, for instance, puncture a wholesale diamond merchant's tire just before he returned to his vehicle. when the salesman pulled over to check his flat, one team member would offer assistance, while others grabbed the loot and jumped into a waiting car.

In recent years, some theft teams have turned to a more direct method: use of a loaded pistol. Just such a scenario came to the Outer Sunset District last month in the form of a $250,000 robbery at the Lower Great Highway.

Wary of being followed, a New York gem dealer passed up traditional downtown or airport hotels to stay with a friend near Ocean Beach. Each time he made a delivery, he drove in circles to shake any possible "tails." And he wasn't followed as he drove home from the peninsula. No, the robbers had picked him up days before and simply waited on the street for him to return.

As the gem merchant parked his car, one "Columbian" put a gun to his head and grabbed the gem case - taking the rental car for good measure. A second suspect followed in a get-away vehicle.

Possibly, a first for the Sunset, this robbery has already brought attention from police agencies throughout the state. Most likely, the undocumented suspects have already pulled up stakes and moved to another big city.

24th and Judah Incident

Morning commute traffic at this busy intersection was disrupted for hours June 12 while police and medics dealt with a multi-car collision. News reports at the time referred to the incident as both a major injury accident and a sad end to a police chase. In reality, it was neither. This is what actually occurred just before 7 a.m.

A Lincoln Way resident was out for some exercise in Golden Gate Park when he spotted an auto burglar at work. The lone man broke the windows of several parked cars and sorted through the contents. As the jogger returned home, he saw the same suspect in front of his own house. A quick 911 call resulted and Taraval officer Richard Janese responded from only blocks away.

Officer Janese confronted the burglar and approached on foot to restrain him. Thirty-four-year-old suspect Billy Walker jumped into his stolen Jeep Cherokee and tried to run over the officer. Only by diving to the side did Janese avoid serious injury. Then the Cherokee headed southbound on 24th Avenue - reaching speeds well over 60 mph.

Before Janese was back in his patrol car, the Jeep was already out of sight. Witnesses told how it "flew" across Irving Street and tried to do the same at Judah. But Walker's luck had run out.

Muni LRV operator Ronald Anthony was able to screech to a halt just in time but the driver of an eastbound airport shuttle never saw the collision coming. The suspect slammed broadside into the van, seriously injuring the driver and nearly killing a female passenger.

Though it was touch and go at the hospital all morning, the latest reports have the shuttle passenger doing well.

As for the suspect? Though pinned by the collision in his driver's seat, he continued to try to claw his way to freedom. Finally, at gunpoint, Janese got him under control - and removed the hatchet hidden under his jacket! After treatment for some broken bones, Walker was admitted to the jail ward and charged with aggravated assault.