San Francisco’s renewed crackdown on vehicle break-ins was overshadowed on social media by two break-ins that went viral on the same day as a press conference discussing the issue. One break-in occurred just around the corner from where the news conference was taking place, while the other was caught on video showing a San Francisco police officer seemingly watching the crime unfold.
A 31-second TikTok video uploaded on Wednesday shows a person in a white Lexus breaking the back window of a parked black vehicle, stealing items from the back seat, and then driving away. The video also pans to a San Francisco Police Department vehicle flashing its lights just a car length away. The video quickly gained over 205,000 views on TikTok and was reposted on other social media platforms.
Many comments on the video accused the police officer of being distracted or ignoring the theft. District 5 Supervisor Dean Preston even commented on the video, expressing his intention to investigate why the officer did not respond to the crime.
However, the person who filmed the video clarified that the police officer did respond to the theft. In the complete 46-second video, the officer can be seen reversing his vehicle and driving in the direction of the white Lexus. The police officer arrived at the scene while the theft was still ongoing. According to the San Francisco Police Department, the sergeant in the police car was conducting proactive patrols in the area and was alerted to the break-in.
The department confirmed that the officer immediately drove to the site of the theft, where the suspect was attempting to flee. The suspect dropped the stolen items and drove away. The officer pursued the suspect, but they were unable to locate the vehicle. Fortunately, no one was injured, and the stolen belongings were recovered by the family.
The video taker stated that about five minutes after the white Lexus left, he witnessed it calmly returning to the Alamo Square Park area, without any police cars in pursuit. He later saw two patrol cars speaking with the driver of the white Lexus about 30 minutes later.
The video gained attention from a Daly City resident who recognized the white Lexus as his stolen car. The resident identified his custom carbon fiber parts and the unique sound of the exhaust. He contacted Daly City police, who had been investigating the theft since August 17, when his car was stolen from outside his home.
The San Francisco Police Department is actively investigating the break-in at Alamo Square Park, while Daly City police are investigating the stolen car.
Contact Megan Fan Munce at [email protected]