SAN FRANCISCO – From car break-ins to shoplifting, much has been said about property crime in San Francisco. For one set of victims, theft doesn’t just come with a cost, it’s making it difficult to work.

“Remodel,” contractor Dan McCann explained as he walked through a home under renovation in Oakland. “Total interior. Addition, front and back.”

From full remodels in the Oakland Hills, to foundation replacements in San Francisco.

“One section at a time,” he said of another project in Haight-Ashbury. “So the house doesn’t fall down.”

McCann is a city native who built his contracting business from scratch, now employing teams of workers on various sites. For all of the complexities that come with running jobs around the bay, his work in San Francisco has presented one particular challenge.

Contractor Dan McCann works on a home in San Francisco. Following multiple thefts, McCann has taken on the task of finding his stolen tools.

CBS

“We usually bring the tools home, but one day we left everything here,” McCann told KPIX 5. “Maybe somebody was staking us out. They broke the lock off, let themselves in. Three jackhammers, a concrete saw. A bunch of smaller items. It came out to about $14,000 worth of equipment.”

“The ladder isn’t on it, no pipe racks,” plumber Tony Campos said of his work van.

Campos is another victim, even though he tries to keep his van as inconspicuous as possible.

Had a couple jobs like Dan’s where we had all of our equipment, all of our plumbing gear, all of our tools stolen,” Campos said of his experience with thieves. “I’ve had one of my cars broken into, in my garage, everything taken from that.”

“This is the third time I’ve been hit pretty big,” McCann added.

The third time convinced him to take on another job, tracking down his stolen property, and he said it wasn’t that hard to find: A resale website and a seller who may not be the thief, but has thousands of items for sale.

“This is the guy who tried to sell me my stuff back,” McCann said, pointing to an online profile. “You can see here, 2,600 items sold on OfferUp. So I met up with him.”

Zeroing in on the saw he recognized, McCann set up a parking lot meeting in which he confronted the seller. They demanded proof of a serial number, which he produced the following day.

“Gave him the serial number the next day,” McCann said. “He told me I made a fake receipt and he wouldn’t meet up with me. Told me to call the cops and have them come deal with it. The cops want me to find him again before they do anything about it. So that what a frustrating thing.”

Police say they cannot comment, as they now have several ongoing investigations into the fencing of stolen property. They encourage everyone to record serial numbers, and put distinct markings on tools in case they do go up for sale. This is a frequent, and costly problem.

“Not only in money and what those tools cost us, but in time,” Campos said of his experiences.

“Missing a day at work, or missing a couple days of work because we have no tools could be a big problem for most of my workers,” McCann said for his crew.

Not one to quit on a job, McCann now has a private investigator working to build a case that he hopes to pass on to police. A mission borne out of frustration.

“These burglaries are devastating to contractors, like myself,” McCann said. “These criminals have made a business off of stealing the livelihood of honest people. Hopefully we can start catching these guys.”

Wilson Walker

Wilson Walker joined KPIX 5 in July 2007. After 10 years producing newscasts, Wilson became a Multimedia Journalist (MMJ) in 2012, meaning he shoots, writes and edits all of his own stories.

The post After a number of thefts, San Francisco contractor takes on discovering stolen instruments appeared first on Los Gatos News And Events.

SAN FRANCISCO – From car break-ins to shoplifting, much has been said about property crime in San Francisco. For one set of victims, theft doesn’t just come with a cost, it’s making it difficult to work.

“Remodel,” contractor Dan McCann explained as he walked through a home under renovation in Oakland. “Total interior. Addition, front and back.”

From full remodels in the Oakland Hills, to foundation replacements in San Francisco.

“One section at a time,” he said of another project in Haight-Ashbury. “So the house doesn’t fall down.”

McCann is a city native who built his contracting business from scratch, now employing teams of workers on various sites. For all of the complexities that come with running jobs around the bay, his work in San Francisco has presented one particular challenge.

Contractor Dan McCann works on a home in San Francisco. Following multiple thefts, McCann has taken on the task of finding his stolen tools.

CBS

“We usually bring the tools home, but one day we left everything here,” McCann told KPIX 5. “Maybe somebody was staking us out. They broke the lock off, let themselves in. Three jackhammers, a concrete saw. A bunch of smaller items. It came out to about $14,000 worth of equipment.”

“The ladder isn’t on it, no pipe racks,” plumber Tony Campos said of his work van.

Campos is another victim, even though he tries to keep his van as inconspicuous as possible.

Had a couple jobs like Dan’s where we had all of our equipment, all of our plumbing gear, all of our tools stolen,” Campos said of his experience with thieves. “I’ve had one of my cars broken into, in my garage, everything taken from that.”

“This is the third time I’ve been hit pretty big,” McCann added.

The third time convinced him to take on another job, tracking down his stolen property, and he said it wasn’t that hard to find: A resale website and a seller who may not be the thief, but has thousands of items for sale.

“This is the guy who tried to sell me my stuff back,” McCann said, pointing to an online profile. “You can see here, 2,600 items sold on OfferUp. So I met up with him.”

Zeroing in on the saw he recognized, McCann set up a parking lot meeting in which he confronted the seller. They demanded proof of a serial number, which he produced the following day.

“Gave him the serial number the next day,” McCann said. “He told me I made a fake receipt and he wouldn’t meet up with me. Told me to call the cops and have them come deal with it. The cops want me to find him again before they do anything about it. So that what a frustrating thing.”

Police say they cannot comment, as they now have several ongoing investigations into the fencing of stolen property. They encourage everyone to record serial numbers, and put distinct markings on tools in case they do go up for sale. This is a frequent, and costly problem.

“Not only in money and what those tools cost us, but in time,” Campos said of his experiences.

“Missing a day at work, or missing a couple days of work because we have no tools could be a big problem for most of my workers,” McCann said for his crew.

Not one to quit on a job, McCann now has a private investigator working to build a case that he hopes to pass on to police. A mission borne out of frustration.

“These burglaries are devastating to contractors, like myself,” McCann said. “These criminals have made a business off of stealing the livelihood of honest people. Hopefully we can start catching these guys.”

Wilson Walker

Wilson Walker joined KPIX 5 in July of 2007. His television career started at WSOC-TV in Charlotte, North Carolina in 1999. There, he covered the departure of the Charlotte Hornets, The Rae Carruth case, and the devastating East Coast Ice Storm of 2002. He also spent three years in Sacramento with KCRA, covering California politics, the Hamid & Umer Hyat terrorism trial, and the Sacramento arena debate.

The post After a number of thefts, San Francisco contractor takes on discovering stolen instruments appeared first on Los Gatos News And Events.

If you know of local business openings or closings, please notify us here.

PREVIOUS OPENINGS AND CLOSINGS

· Air Products and Chemicals Inc.’s chosen warehouse developer, Prologis Inc., will have to wait until July 13 for a final decision by Upper Macungie Township’s zoning hearing board on 2.61 million square feet of warehouses. 

· Chubby’s of Southside Easton has added Krispy Krunchy Chicken to its offerings and name.

· Curaleaf Holdings Inc., which operates in the U.S. and Europe, will open a medical-marijuana dispensary at 1801 Airport Road, Hanover Township.

· Habitat for Humanity, which has “ReStores” that sell new and lightly used furniture, has leased 30,000 square feet at the South Mall.

· Nat Hyman’s bid to convert an old warehouse at 938 Washington St. in Allentown into 48 apartments did not win zoning hearing board approval this week after neighbors said more housing would make an on-street parking shortage worse.

· Members 1st Federal Credit Union opened a new branch this week at 5605 Hamilton Blvd, Trexlertown. It’s one of five planned for the Lehigh Valley. 

· A Turkish restaurant has relocated from one downtown to another, taking its fresh ingredients and cozy atmosphere from Nazareth to 200 Main St., Tatamy.

· The Tennessee Titans have chosen Allentown-based Shift4 Payments to handle payments at Nissan Stadium.

· Wells Fargo Bank held ribbon-cutting at its downtown Allentown branch at 740 Hamilton St.

· The Wiz Kidz outlet at the Madison Farms residential/retail development in Bethlehem Township will hold a grand reopening and ribbon-cutting at noon on July 15.

· Bad Biscuit Company, which offered breakfast with scratch-made biscuits, freshly baked pastry and local, small-batch artisan coffee, said it will cease operations at 16 Columbia Ave. in Reading after its July 1 hours.

· FastBridge Fiber has announced it will build an all-fiber cable network that will offer ultra-fast internet in the Reading area.

· Hamid Chaudhry has said he no longer plans to move forward with pursuing a food truck park he previously proposed on the site of the former Sheetz convenience store and gas station in Exeter Township at 6600 Perkiomen Ave. (Route 422 East). 

· The Maxatawny Township Planning Commission has OK’d a proposal for a Mavis Discount Tire store in the Kutztown Road shopping center that features a Giant supermarket.

· Valentino’s Italian restaurant has gotten Maxatawny Township’s approval to remain open when the state transportation department takes one-third of its parking lot to build a traffic roundabout at the intersection of Route 222 and Long Lane.

· Pocono Mountain Harley-Davidson, under new ownership, will hold a “Grand Re-Opening Bash” July 9 and July 10 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. 

· Sauce West End plans to open in a former Rita’s Italian Ice, just off Route 209 across from the Tractor Supply store in Brodheadsville.

· The Surgery Center of Pottsville, which offered medical procedure services for 16 years in Cressona Mall. will close June 28.

· Wells Fargo has closed its branch office in Langhorne, near the intersection with Maple Avenue.

· The latest PrimoHoagies location in New Jersey held a grand opening at 1930 State Route 57, Hackettstown.

· A new Tractor Supply Co. store in Warren County will have its grand opening in the former Toys ‘R’ Us store in Pohatcong Plaza on July 9.

· Hunter Pocono Peterbilt plans to move Pocono Township operations to Stroudsburg.

· Coal Winery and Kitchen at 81 Broad St., Bethlehem, has closed as its owner searches for a new location for the business, according to its Facebook page. 

· Lowhill Township supervisors approved a 312,120-square-foot commercial warehouse and distribution center on a 43.4-acre tract on the west side of Route 100, south of the Kernsville Road intersection.

· The Mint Gastropub at 1223 W. Broad St., Bethlehem, announced that it has temporarily closed to undergo a merger with a “well-known restaurant group” from Bethlehem.

· The Slatington Farmers Market opened its 28,000-square-foot showroom, which includes space for 53 vendors, as well as a 4,000-square-foot event space.

· St. Luke’s University Health Network opened a new pediatric inpatient unit next to the eight-bed pediatric intensive care unit at St. Luke’s University Hospital – Bethlehem.

· 25th Asian House opened at the location of the former Tin Tin Chinese restaurant in the 25th Street Shopping Center in Palmer Township.

· The Chick-Fil-A in Broadcasting Square shopping center in Spring Township was razed to make way for a new, expanded facility for the popular chicken sandwich restaurant.

· Plans for drive-thru locations of a Chipotle and a Starbucks at the intersection of Ivy League Drive and Kutztown Road were rejected by Maxatawny Township planners.

· Cumru Township plannes reviewed preliminary plans for NorthPoint-Morgantown Commerce Center, a 738,720-square-foot warehouse to be built on 75.2 acres at Morgantown Road (State Route 10) and Freemansville Road.

· Kutztown University has plans to expand its historic Poplar House to 13,161 square feet with an addition around its side and back, but keep the 129-year-old structure intact.

· A wine store and beverage outlet could be coming to a new two-unit building along the commercial strip of Blakeslee Boulevard Drive East in Lehighton, Carbon County.

· ChristianaCare, a Delaware health care organization, has announced it will buy the former Jennersville Hospital in West Grove, Chester County.

· Garden of Health Inc. celebrated the opening of the food bank’s new warehouse at 201 Church Road, North Wales, in Montgomery County.

· Silverline Trailers Inc. opened its first location in Pennsylvania and in the Northeast at 223 Porter Road, Pottstown, where it sells utility, cargo, dump, equipment and car hauler trailers. 

· A new smoothie and bowl restaurant, Sips & Berries, opened at 285 Maple Ave., Harleysville, in Montgomery County.

· Terrain on the Parkway offers 160 new 1-, 2- and 3-bedroom apartments at 1625 Lehigh Parkway East in Allentown. 

· Lehigh Valley native Don Wenner is moving his real estate investment and finance firm DLP Capital from Bethlehem to Allentown at 835 W. Hamilton St.

· While Wells Fargo has been the leader in closing banks lately, it will hold a ribbon-cutting for its new downtown Allentown office at 740 Hamilton St. on June 30.

· If you’re in the market for sterling silver jewelry, minerals and semi-precious gemstones, C& I Minerals is now operating at the South Mall at 3300 Lehigh St. in Allentown.

· The Allentown-based utility company PPL Corp. bought a major Rhode Island utility.

· Ownership at Martellucci’s Pizzeria in Bethlehem has changed, but Paul and Donna Hlavinka and their family are running the pizza place at 1419 Easton Ave., just as it has been operated for 49 years. 

· Dr. Jacob Kasprenski’s new Kasprenski Family Eye Care opened at 1088 Howertown Road, Catasauqua.

· Josie’s New York Deli in downtown Easton closed early in the COVID-19 pandemic, but a June 13 Historic District Commission meeting approved a request for a new sign at its building at 14 Centre Square. 

· Zekraft cafe has opened its second location in the Easton Silk Mill in Easton. The first Zekraft restaurant was opened in Bethlehem. The restaurants’ menus change frequently, with a focus on local ingredients. 

· Manta Massage at 319 Main St., Emmaus, will hold its grand opening on July 10 starting at 11 a.m. 

· The former Iron Lakes Country Club, constructed in the late 1950s and early 1960s, will operate at 3625 Shankweiler Road in North Whitehall Township under its new name, The Club at Twin Lakes. 

· Prologis, a titan in the logistics industry, will own and operate three warehouses proposed in Upper Macungie Township at the former Air Products headquarters campus at 7201 Hamilton Blvd. 

· Lehigh Valley Health Network ceremonially opened its first Carbon County hospital — a $78 million, 100,578-square-foot facility at 2128 Blakeslee Boulevard Drive East in Mahoning Township.

· Pocono Township commissioners voted to accept Swiftwater Solar’s preliminary final plan for the $111 million, 80-megawatt field on a private 644-acre site on top of Bear Mountain that would include about 200,000 solar panels.

· Firetree Ltd. wants to expand its in-patient rehab operation at the former Sands Ford auto dealership at 440 N Claude A Lord Blvd. (Route 61), Pottsville.

· A Dunkin’ in Schuylkill County located at 400 Terry Rich Blvd., St. Clair, has become just the fourth location of the donut and coffee chain to go entirely digital. 

· The Conservatory music school in Bucks County will close after 34 years, and school officials say the COVID-19 pandemic is the cause. The nonprofit, located at 4059 Skyron Drive, Doylestown, will close June 30.

· A Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen and Arby’s will be built on the site of the former Ahart’s Market on Route 22 in Phillipsburg, New Jersey.

· Hunterdon County Chamber of Commerce offices and the Unity Bank Center for Business & Entrepreneurship will be located at 119 Main St., Flemington. 

· Honeygrow opens Quakertown location, next to Chipotle on Route 309, on June 3.

· Dunkin’ reopens remodeled restaurant at 1174 MacArthur Road in Whitehall Township

· Muse Modern Med Spa at 325 Fifth St. in Whitehall Township  will hold a grand opening June 4.

· Around Again, a consignment store, opened at 154 S. Main St., Phillipsburg

· Steak and Steel Hibachi, a restaurant in the works at 44 W. Walnut St., Bethlehem, still plans on opening late this summer. 

· Take It Outdoors Recreation Hub has moved to a spot along the Schuylkill River Trail at Riverfront Park in Pottstown, Montgomery County

· Pedego Electric Bikes has a new outlet in Lambertville, N.J. at 13 N. Union St.

· Amanda Vachris has opened a new Keller Williams Real Estate office at 15 St. John St. in Schuylkill Haven.

· Easton’s new West Ward Market will open Wednesday and be open on Wednesday’s through the summer from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. The market, created by the Greater Easton Development Partnership, will sell fresh produce on 12th Street, next to Paxinosa Elementary School.

· Ciao Sandwich Shoppe is adding a second location, this time on College Hill in Easton. Ciao plans to open at 325 Cattell St. in late summer. Ciao already operates in downtown Easton at 12 N. Third St

· Ma’s Crepes and Cakes will hold a grand opening and ribbon-cutting June 16 at 46 W. Broadway, Jim Thorpe. The celebration starts at 5 p.m., with the ribbon cutting at 5:45 p.m. 

· Bethlehem’s Back Door Bakeshop will reopen as a wholesale operation at 7 E. Church St. in the city’s historic district. The business was open for nine years as a retail outlet at Broad and Center streets, before announcing in March that it would close the storefront April 3 and “go back to its origins as a wholesale business.”

·The Beef Baron on Catasauqua Road in Bethlehem is closed indefinitely for renovations

· The Brothers That Just Do Gutters are opening a new location in Allentown at 1302 N. 18th St.

· St. John Chrysostom Academy, an Orthodox school serving grades 1-9 starting this fall, held a grand opening at its St. Francis Center, Bethlehem, campus.

· Easton Commons, a shopping center anchored by Giant Foods at 2920 Easton Ave., Bethlehem Township, has a new name: The Shops at Bethlehem.

· Carbon County is getting a taste of Brazil at Uai Brasil BBQ at 315 Lehigh Ave. in Palmerton.

· The Keystone Pub in Bethlehem Township, at 3259 Easton Avenue, has reopened after a lengthy and expensive renovation. 

· The Trading Post Depot opened at 401 Northampton St., Easton. The rustic furniture store makes custom tables for dining rooms, desktops, conference centers and more.

· The Easton area has a new gym: Homemade Fitness at 444 Cedarville Road in Williams Township.

· Il Gaetano Ristorante opened at its 665 Columbus Ave., Phillipsburg, location. 

· Ciao! Sandwich Shoppe to open second location on College Hill in Easton, replacing The Kettle Room

· Rene and Grisellies Benique have opened Ezekiel 47 Cafe at 10 S. Fifth Ave., off Fifth and Penn avenues, in West Reading. 

· Alter Ego Salon and Day Spa in Emmaus is holding a grand opening Sunday, May 22, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., with a ribbon cutting at noon. 

· Origen Latin Fusion has opened at the site of the former Tomcat Cafe in Sinking Spring, Berks County. 

· Sellersville Senior Residences will hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony May 24. The Bucks County affordable-housing community for adults 55 and older has 50 apartments, with eight allocated for people with behavioral health needs.

· The House and Barn in Emmaus has opened its Shed outdoor dining and cigar bar area. The House and Barn is at 1449 Chestnut St. in Emmaus.

· Realtor Amanda Vachris and the Schuylkill Chamber of Commerce will hold a ribbon cutting at Vachris’s new Keller Williams Real Estate office at 15 St. John St., Schuylkill Haven, at 4 p.m. on May 24.

· Il Gaetano Ristorante will hold a grand opening on Friday, May 20, at 5:30 p.m. The 665 Columbus Ave., Phillipsburg.

· First Commonwealth Federal Credit Union will hold a grand opening at its new headquarters in Trexlertown, 6126 Hamilton Blvd., on May 18.

· Vinyl Press Signs & Graphics has relocated within Emmaus. The new site is 15 S. Second St., not far from the former Sixth Street location.

· Pedro’s Cafe in Emmaus to close

· SV Sports (formerly Schuylkill Valley Sports) to close Quakertown location

· Flemington DIY will host a Grand Re-Opening on May 14 at 26 Stangl Road, Flemington. The celebration will kick off at 10 a.m. 

· Elpedio’s Ristorante at Seipsville opened at 2912 Old Nazareth Road in Easton. The restaurant is open Wednesday through Sunday.

· Uai Brazil opened at 315 Lehigh Ave, Palmerton, offering both a seated or buffet option. 

· Colombian Mex Restaurant opened at 107 E Union Blvd in Bethlehem, offering traditional Colombian cuisine. 

· Precision Ink opened at 161 W Berwick St. in Easton. 

· King Wing opened a location in Bethlehem at 129 E. Third St., serving wings and sandwiches.  

The post San Francisco police arrest man with $200K in stolen items | Enterprise Information appeared first on Los Gatos News And Events.

PACIFICA – Two San Francisco men were arrested Monday morning in Pacifica after they drove a stolen car the wrong way on Highway 1 and crashed, police said.

Around 2:25 am, an officer spotted the car driving the wrong way on the Manor Drive off-ramp from Highway 1, the Pacifica Police Department said in a news release.

The officer tried to stop the car, but it continued southbound in northbound lanes, police said.

“Seeing how the vehicle was traveling in the wrong direction and into oncoming traffic, the officer did not pursue the car,” police said.

A short time later, another officer spotted the car exiting the highway at Oceana Boulevard. The officer tried to stop the car, which had been reported stolen in Daly City, but the driver reversed down the off-ramp, police said. The car then left the roadway, rolled onto its side and came to a rest partially blocking one lane of the highway.

Two men got out of the car and ran toward Ingrid B. Lacy Middle School, police said. One was found hiding in some heavy brush at the school and the other was found a few blocks away, at the corner of Palmetto and Carmel avenues, in an open stairwell.

Neither man was injured in the crash, police said.

One of the men was booked into San Mateo County jail on suspicion of possession of a stolen vehicle, taking a vehicle without the owner’s consent, evading a police officer and resisting arrest, as well as a pair of bench warrants. The other was arrested on suspicon of resisting arrest and giving false identification to a police officer.

The California Highway Patrol recovered the stolen car and cleared the affected lane, police said. The incident did not result in any closures of the highway.

Anyone with information related to the case can contact the police department at 650-738-7314.

The post San Francisco duo arrested after crashing stolen automobile in Pacifica appeared first on Los Gatos News And Events.

A San Francisco shoplifter was filmed filling a bag with stolen goods behind the counter of a Walgreens store as staff stood helplessly and watched.

The heist took place on Tuesday at a Walgreens in the Richmond area of ​​the city, and saw the brazen shoplifter hurl bananas and cookies at one man who confronted him.

It is the latest in a long line of shocking shoplifting outrages to hit the famously-liberal Bay Area.

San Francisco and its Bay Area neighbors have been hit hard by a wave of property crimes and smash-and-grab robberies since the start of the pandemic. That has forced multiple branches of Walgreens to close in a bid to stem their theft-related losses amid mounting criticism of soft-on-crime DAs many say are enabling the widespread criminality.

Cellphone video captured by professional photographer Nicholas Stennet shows a man dressed in all black removing items from shelves behind the counter of the San Francisco drug store with utter disregard for two store workers standing right next to him.

One of the employees is on the phone with a 911 dispatcher, reporting a robbery in progress.

At the beginning of the clip, the brazen shoplifter can be seen behind the counter stuffing some of the Walgreens’ most valuable items into a huge bag, while helpless staff look on

Moments later, he was confronted by a male shopper, pictured left, but didn’t take kindly to the check on his behavior…

‘We have this person that is… taking everything from the counter,’ the woman says. ‘Can you send the cops? Can you send them right away, please?’

The looter, meanwhile, calmly moves to a different section of the counter and continues to fill a plastic bag with a variety of goods, including COVID tests, batteries and electronics, according to one eyewitness.

After ransacking the shelves to his heart’s content, the criminal emerges from behind the counter and makes it for the exit.

When a bystander makes an attempt to stand up to him, the audacious bandit grabs a bunch of bananas from a basket and forcefully hurls them at the man, who picks up some of the fruit and lobs them back at the attacker.

…and ended up hurling bananas at the would-be Good Samaritan, who then responded in kind

The shoplifter was evidently annoyed by the have-a-go hero’s decision to stand up to him, and returned to hurl nuts and candy at the unfortunate man

Visibly annoyed by such a hostile reception, the shoplifter grabs packets of chips Ahoy! from a nearby shelf and pelts the Good Samaritan with them, before storming out of he store and triggering the alarm on his way out.

Drug store chains like Walgreens and CVS have become attractive and easy targets for shoplifters, leading to numerous store closures in the Bay Area. In the area’s largest city, San Francisco, low-level offenses, such as retail thefts, have been effectively de-criminalized under the leadership of progressive District Attorney Chesa Boudin.

Boudin, who in a recent interview with the New York Times argued that tough-on-crime policies do not work and blamed the police for the San Francisco’s soaring crime rates, is facing a recall vote on June 7.

Liberal San Francisco DA Chesa Boudin, whose soft-on-crime policies have been blamed for San Francisco’s soaring crime rates, is facing a recall vote in June

Roving gangs of criminals have been carrying out brazen smash-and-grab robberies, targeting high-end stores like Louis Vuitton and Burberry, but also national chains like Walgreens and CVS.

Walgreens said last year that retail theft in San Francisco was five times the chain average and security costs were 46 times the chain average, reported San Francisco Chronicle.

According to the latest available crime data, grand larceny rates in California’s liberal bastion were up 19 per cent in late February, compared with the same period last year.

California Gov Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, has vowed to crack down on gangs of retail thieves, despite a controversial 2014 law – Proposition 47 – that barred prosecutors from charging suspected shoplifters accused of stealing less than $950 worth of merchandise with felonies.

The post Shoplifter struts behind counter of San Francisco Walgreens and fills bag full with stolen items appeared first on Los Gatos News And Events.

INDEPENDENCE, Mo. — An Independence handyman said thieves were caught on camera stealing tools from his work truck at a local church.

A Kansas City, Missouri man saw the videos and believes his stolen truck was used to commit the crime.

“He walked over here, picked up a brick, carried it and smashed it right through the glass,” Chris Bryant said, telling FOX4 about his tools being stolen and his work truck being damaged.

Bryant said the Thanksgiving Day video showed two thieves smashing a window and stealing over $4,000 worth of tools from the truck.

Bryant works as a handyman for the Independence Church, where this happened. He said he was up the street at the time eating Thanksgiving dinner.

Deputys: Drugs found in Little Debbie’s box during a traffic stop in Arkansas

“That makes you a little sad,” Bryant said.

Bryant’s family posted the videos online in hopes of identifying the thieves. They say they’ve since seen people selling valuable tools online.

“Don’t buy them, don’t endorse them, because sooner or later your tools could be next,” Bryant said.

Austin Stephens said he recognized his truck in the videos.

“I’m 100% sure that’s my truck,” Stephens said.

Stephens said he only heated up his truck for a few minutes on the morning of November 22 and someone took it from his driveway in Kansas City.

“It’s disappointing that my truck is being used for other crimes across the city and that other people are suffering as well,” Stephens said.

Stephens added concern that the thieves had returned.

He said once they set off a car alarm and on another occasion someone could be seen getting out of a car and trying to get into his garage, which was locked.

Both families want whoever is doing this to be stopped.

“I also want to be able to have that peace of mind and know that we’re not being terrorized all the time,” Stephens said. “It would be nice if these people were caught and solved.”

Kansas City Officer Recognized for Arresting KCK Murder Suspect

Online crime data from the Independence Police show 32 vehicle and car thefts since November 22.

Officials say they historically see a spike in this type of crime at this time of year when people are warming up their cars or have valuable gifts inside.

“Get your life in order and leave other people’s lives alone,” Bryant said.

FOX4 confirmed that the Independence Police passed the information to KCPD to try to connect the cases and work together.

KCPD reported a three percent decrease in vehicle thefts from November 1st.

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The post Thieves use stolen truck to steal Independence, Missouri handyman’s instruments appeared first on Los Gatos News And Events.

Stolen San Francisco Service Dog reunited with owner

A stolen San Francisco service dog named Summer was reunited with her owner.

SAN FRANCISCO – A German Shepherd named Summer, who was stolen from her owner earlier this week, is back home.

Summer was dating her owner Locke MacKenzie on Waller Street Monday night when a suspect grabbed the dog by the harness and ran away.

Somebody later found the dog and called the Oakland police, who turned Summer over to animal service.

Since Summer has a microchip, the officers were able to find her rightful owner and reunite the two on Thursday evening.

“I wish she could talk to tell me about her adventure,” said MacKenzie. “But I am very relieved and very happy to have her back in my life and so on, because she is my companion, she is my dog. And we are a team.”

The investigation into who kidnapped Simmer is ongoing. There were no arrests at this point.

MORE: Heartbroken tourists after a kitten was stolen from Smash-and-Grab in San Francisco

Another stolen dog was reunited with its owner this week.

Police said someone from Sacramento saw on social media that “Rosie” was forcibly stolen on Jan. 1, which he did not know when he bought the French Bulldog.

He called the police on Monday and the police confirmed it was the same stolen dog.

And Rosie was reunited with her owner.

Neither the owner nor the Sacramento man wanted to be identified.

The post Stolen San Francisco service canine reunited with proprietor appeared first on Los Gatos News And Events.

REDWOOD CITY (CBS SF) – A 24-year-old man was arrested after allegedly targeting numerous Home Depot stores in the Bay Area and stealing thousands of dollars in goods.

Redwood City Police said Eric Crossman was detained in the San Mateo County Jail for commercial break-in, possession of stolen property, resisting arrest, and possession of a controlled substance.

CONTINUE READING: Scott Peterson returns to the San Mateo County courtroom for re-sentencing Wednesday

Police said he was arrested after a clue led them to Crossman, which led to an investigation into his role in a possible organized retail theft.

CONTINUE READING: Cloverdale convenience store suspect wanted for armed robbery

Detectives conducted a suspended search of the Crossman’s home and found over 80 stolen items from various Home Depot stores in the Bay Area. Most of the items seized were high quality power tools and electronics. The total value of the items was over $ 14,000.

The goods were stolen from Home Depots in San Carlos, San Mateo, Colma, Pittsburg, Brentwood, and San Jose.

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Anyone with additional information regarding this incident is encouraged to contact Detective Sergeant Nick Perna at 650-780-7672 or the Redwood City Police Department tipline at 650-780-7110.

The post Redwood Metropolis Retail Theft Suspect Arrested; Stolen Residence Depot Merchandise Recovered – CBS San Francisco appeared first on Los Gatos News And Events.

Nvidia’s US partner EVGA has reported that a shipment of GPUs it was sending to a distribution center was stolen from a truck.

A forum post by EVGA Product Manager Jacob Freeman states: “PLEASE NOTE that on October 29, 2021, a shipment of EVGA GeForce RTX 30 series graphics cards was stolen from a truck en route from San Francisco to our Southern California distribution center. “

“These graphics cards are in high demand, and each has an estimated retail value of $ 329.99 up to $ 1959.99 MSRP.”

Which probably explains the motivation for the crime – either someone is hoping to resell them or a crypto miner has just built a cheap rig.

Freeman’s Post doesn’t say how many GPUs were stolen or whether the truck was still hauling anything. However, he warned that buying stolen goods is a crime, as is “hiding the sale or holding back” stolen goods.

Then he seems to be setting some sort of trap by indicating that attempts to register products that have not been stolen will be successful on this page that requires registration. Crooks are probably smart enough to use fake data when registering. Also, are they smart enough to use a VPN and / or Tor to hide their traces?

EVGA created the email address stopRTX30theft@evga.com to help find the perpetrators.

The RTX-30 range is aimed at gamers and content creators, so this robbery makes it even more difficult to find a GPU for those suffering from low pixel counts and / or frame rates. Those who use GPUs for other tasks can already wait months to get their hands on the devices as COVID-crimped supply chains continue to delay production.

This situation will continue for many months: In August, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang said he expected “an environment with supply bottlenecks for the vast majority of the next year”. ®

The post Truckload of GPUs stolen on their means out of San Francisco • The Register appeared first on Los Gatos News And Events.

AMERICAN CANYON (CBS SF / KPIX) – Napa County authorities said Monday night a burning, stolen car may have ignited fast-moving vegetation in the American Canyon. The police arrested the driver.

The so-called Newell Fire burned east of Newell Drive, north of American Canyon Road near two local schools.

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The fire was first reported around 6:30 p.m. and quickly grew to 150 acres. At around 10 p.m., Cal Fire said that progress had stopped and that the fire was 50% contained. The fire brigade watched the gusts of wind throughout the night.

According to the Napa County Sheriff, Oscar Ortiz, 26, is on remand. He was found in the hills with burns on his body next to the burning car.

“When the officers responded to the fire and arrived on site, they found a burning car where a car shouldn’t be in a stream area,” said Sheriff Ortiz.

He also confirms that the car was stolen from Vallejo.

Napa County Sheriff Oscar Ortiz told us tonight that his deputies found a burning car near the source of the fire. The driver of the car was also burned. Sheriff says it was a stolen car. #NewellFire

– Andrea Nakano (@AndreaKPIX) October 12, 2021

#NewellFire – UPDATE – Fire is approximately 150 acres and is 50% contained. Forward progress has stopped. When driving in the area, be careful and avoid emergency vehicles.
# CALFIRE # CALFIRELNU

– CAL FIRE LNU (@CALFIRELNU) October 12, 2021

At around 8:35 p.m., Cal Fire confirmed that the fire had stopped from progressing to approximately 150 acres. The evacuation warning was lifted.

Cal Fire is investigating the possibility that the burning car started the fire. Local residents watched the flames spread rapidly on a hill just across from their homes.

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“Everyone was kind of nervous,” said Rob Sloan, a resident. “We live down the street, this is the family home here and we came to be with everyone until the evacuation order was lifted.”

The evacuation warning was issued around 7 p.m. to residents east of Broadway Street / Highway 29. American Canyon Road has been closed because of the fire, according to the Napa County Sheriff’s Office.

#NewellFire – CAL FIRE The Sonoma Lake Napa unit responds to a vegetation fire near the 4000 block of Newell Dr, Greenwood Ranch. When traveling in the area, please be careful and give emergency vehicles right of way. # CALFIRE # CALFIRELNU pic.twitter.com/RZJWZyvSZ4

– CAL FIRE LNU (@CALFIRELNU) October 12, 2021

The smoke from the fire could be observed for miles. Residents up to Berkeley reported smelling the smoke.

Travelers in the area were advised to exercise caution. Contra Costa Fire and other Bay Area fire departments are providing mutual assistance to prevent the fire from spiraling out of control under the terms of the red flag warning.

#NewellFire in #AmericanCanyon

: Emma Trotter pic.twitter.com/XSpsjj1dpt

– Steve Trotter (@sirtrotsalots) October 12, 2021

#NewellFire – UPDATE – Fire is approximately 150 acres and is 50% contained. Forward progress has stopped. When driving in the area, be careful and avoid emergency vehicles.
# CALFIRE # CALFIRELNU

– CAL FIRE LNU (@CALFIRELNU) October 12, 2021

“American Canyon Fire is fighting a fast-moving forest fire,” tweeted fire officers in Crockett / Carquinez. “Expect smoke in Crockett.”

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Andrea Nakano contributed to this report.

The post Burning, Stolen Automotive Could Have Sparked Newell Fireplace In Napa County; Driver Arrested – CBS San Francisco appeared first on Los Gatos News And Events.