Police Blotter

Robbery with Force, Assault: Jan. 1, 2:25 a.m., Intersection of Sixth Avenue and Fulton Street
A 44-year-old man was walking south on Sixth Avenue from a bar on New Year's Eve. As he approached the intersection at Fulton Street, two suspects attacked him, punching and kicking him repeatedly. They stole $43 and a cell phone. After the victim fell to the ground, one of the suspects continued to kick him.

A couple getting out of a taxi witnessed the assault and called police, who arrived to find the victim lying on the sidewalk with his right eye swollen shut and a bloody nose. The victim was extremely intoxicated and had difficulty focusing on the police officer's questions.

After calling for an ambulance, the officers were able to get a description of the suspects from the witnesses and searched the area. They found two suspects matching the descriptions standing at the corner of Park Presidio Boulevard and Fulton. As the officers approached, one suspect took off running on Park Presidio and then into the bushes. The other suspect did not flee and was detained by police.

The 23-year-old suspect, who lives in Santa Rosa, told police that his accomplice was his brother. He was placed in a holding cell at Richmond Station.

Approximately two hours later, a police vehicle located the other suspect. He fled again at the sight of police but was found hiding under a car. The suspect, who surrendered peacefully, was placed under arrest at Richmond Station.

One of the witnesses positively identified the suspect in a cold show as being the suspect involved in the assault.

Apartment Burglary: Jan. 5, 5:25 p.m, 800 Block of La Playa
The manager of an apartment house across the street from a grocery store on La Playa called police about two bicycles that had been stolen out of a tenant's apartment the previous day. The manager believed the perpetrators had cased the building the day before and were currently in the grocery store with the bikes.

When the two suspects exited the store with the bikes, police approached them and asked them if they were their bikes. One suspect told police he had just purchased the bike for $20 but couldn't identify who sold it.

The victim walked up and said, "That's my bicycle, I recognize my seat and bottle holder."

Both suspects were transported to Richmond Station for further questioning. One of the suspects admitted stealing the bikes while being interrogated and said he had fallen off the bike after stealing it.

A search of one of the suspect's backpacks turned up a leafy substance suspected to be marijuana.

Both suspects were booked at Richmond Station.

Fraudulent Use of ATM Card: Dec. 30, 2:54 p.m., 2500 Block of California Street
The manager of a gas station called police about an employee who was suspected of stealing from the till.

The 35-year-old suspect works alone on the night shift. The manager suspected the suspect was pocketing the cash given to him by customers and then manually inputting the amount with a credit card number. The manager showed police transaction slips he found in the garbage along with invoices from a credit card company requesting the signed slips. The manager estimated that the total stolen was between $10,000 and $15,000.

Under police questioning, the suspect caved in. "I had a big problem several months ago," he said. "I owed money to some friend. I only get paid $8.50 an hour without benefits. I needed some money." The suspect said he obtained credit card numbers by copying them from customers' cards.