(Update Sept. 13): Alex Bastian with the District Attorney's Office informs us that a judge determined there was not enough evidence, and the case was dropped. According to Bastian, the victims were unable to identify the suspects. In addition, he said the stolen property was never found on the defendants.
(Original Story Aug. 24) What are the chances that someone robbed in San Francisco will actually get their stuff back? Today we bring you another story of hardworking San Franciscans who actually got their money back after they were allegedly robbed by a trio in the Mission District.
On Aug. 22, about 12:02 a.m., the victims -- a 22-year-old man and a 40-year-old man -- were walking on the 2800 block of 22nd Street when three men surrounded them, according to police. Two of the suspects pointed handguns at the victims while a third man reached under his shirt to simulate a gun.
The robbers demanded their property and, fearing for their lives, the victims turned over their cell phones, a wallet (with money), and a digital music player. The robbers ran off and the victims quickly called 911.
An officer responding to the call spotted two men matching the
suspects' description running along Folsom Street near 20th Street. He
watched one suspect, later identified as 24-year-old Xavier Williams of Richmond, enter the
driver's door of a blue Hyundai parked on the 3300 block of
20th Street. The officer saw Williams reach toward the bottom of the
driver's seat area.
The officer then spotted a second suspect, 25-year-old Mark Mays of San
Francisco, run to the passenger door.
When the officer ordered the suspect to stop, Mays ran north on Folsom
Street, according to police.The officer broadcast Mays' description over the police radio
and then detained Williams.
Additional officers from Mission Station responded to the call, and
heard Mays' description and direction of travel. With the assistance of
several bystanders, the officers located Mays lying down on a set of
stairs to a building on the 2300 block of Folsom Street. Mays was
sweating profusely (gross!), leaning on a black jacket that he had
apparently stripped in a sad attempt to change his appearance.
Other officers
located and detained a third man matching the third suspect description on the 2300
block of Folsom Street.
Officers searched
the area and recovered a semi-automatic handgun from under the driver's
seat of the Hyundai, where Williams had been sitting. They recovered a second semi-automatic hand gun from under a vehicle on
the 2300 block of Folsom Street. The firearms matched the descriptions
of the weapons used in the street robbery.
Officers found
additional evidence on the 2300 block of Folsom Street, including the
victims' stolen property and a jacket believed to have been
worn and tossed by one of the suspects.
Mays and Williams were booked at Mission Station and charged with two counts of robbery, weapons charges, possession of stolen
property, and conspiracy. The third suspect, 40-year-old Jerome Davis of San Francisco, was booked on outstanding warrants.
