Kidnapped San Francisco man escaped by leaping out of transferring automotive, police say

June 22, 2021Updated: June 22, 2021 12:37 p.m. 12

At around 5:39 a.m. on Friday, June 18, 2021, San Francisco police officers at Taraval Station responded to Wawona Street and 43rd Avenue on Wawona Street and 43rd Avenue for a report of a car theft and kidnapping, according to the SFPD.

SFPD

A 32-year-old San Francisco resident was in his car parked outside his home in the Sunset District early Friday morning when a man walked up to him with a gun, police said.

The suspect ordered the man to sit in the passenger seat and the suspect huddled in the driver’s seat before spinning off, according to San Francisco police.

During the trip, the suspect allegedly requested the man’s belongings. The man complied and handed over his phone, credit cards, jewelry, and some clothing. Concerned for his safety, the man jumped out of the moving car and drove away, according to officials.

The man stopped a pedestrian and called the police.

Officials responded to reports of a car theft and kidnapping on Wawona Street and 43rd Avenue near the San Francisco Zoo at 5:39 a.m. on June 18. The man was being treated for non-life threatening injuries and officers found his vehicle unoccupied at 2300 block on 44th Avenue.

This remains an active investigation and no arrests have been made.

Anyone with information can call SFPD’s 24-hour tip hotline at (415) 575-4444 or send a tip to TIP411 and begin the SMS with SFPD. You can remain anonymous.

Amy Graff is the news editor for SFGATE. Originally from the Bay Area, she began her career in the news with the Daily Californian newspaper at UC Berkeley, majoring in English literature. She has been with SFGATE for 12 years. You can email her at araff@sfgate.com.