Tuesday San Francisco News Roundup
CAMPAIGN HEADQUARTERS FOR DISTRICT 3 SUPERVISOR CANDIDATE AARON PESKIN BURGLARIZED
The campaign headquarters of San Francisco District 3 candidate Aaron Peskin were burglarized during a break-in over the weekend but are not suspected of being politically motivated.
Peskin, who formerly served as president of the board of Supervisors, is running against incumbent mayoral appointee Julie Christensen in the November election.
Peskin said Monday that five laptops were stolen from his campaign headquarters located on Sutter Street near Van Ness Avenue, none containing any campaign data. One of the laptops was a staff member’s personal laptop, while the four others were campaign-owned.
San Francisco police spokeswoman Grace Gatpandan said the suspect remains unknown and the motive remains under
investigation.
Peskin said the break-in must have occurred between 9 p.m. on Friday, when the last staff member locked up, and when a staff member reported it on Saturday morning.
He said the burglar appears to have jumped the metal gate and broke the glass door and then fled with the laptops. He estimated the burglar made off with a few thousand dollars worth of equipment.
Peskin said he doesn’t think the campaign was targeted, noting that The Regency Ballroom, located around the corner on Van Ness Avenue, was apparently burglarized of equipment just last week.
Concerning his campaign, Peskin said, “the response on the street and at the doors is very good.”
Regardless of the setback caused by the break-in, Peskin said that Christensen’s campaign is outspending his campaign and that he doesn’t believe Christensen is fully reporting all independent expenditures.
He said he would be attending a San Francisco Ethics Commission meeting on the issue Monday evening at San Francisco City Hall.
The San Francisco Ethics Commission agenda states that a discussion and possible action was to be taken Monday regarding complaints alleging failure to disclose all campaign finance activity, exceeding contribution limits and engaging in incompatible and/or prohibited political activity.
Peskin suggested that his opponent has failed to report more than $130,000 in independent expenditures.
Maureen Erwin, a political consultant for Christensen’s campaign, said that she hadn’t heard about the complaint.
Regarding the break-in, Gatpandan said investigators are searching the area for footage of the suspect.
MAN WITH SWORD ARRESTED AFTER ALLEGEDLY CUTTING MAN, WOMAN
A 26-year-old San Francisco man was arrested for attempted murder Saturday night after allegedly using a sword to injure a man and a woman in San Francisco’s Silver Terrace neighborhood, police said today.
Arthur Leigh Welohr was arrested for two counts of attempted murder, San Francisco police spokesman Officer Albie Esparza said.
At about 11:50 p.m. on Friday, Welohr was apparently arguing with a man and a woman on Elmira Street near the Interstate Highway 280 overpass, police said.
Welohr allegedly pulled out a sword and slashed the victims, both in their 50s, police said.
The male victim suffered cuts to the front of his head, hand and shoulder, while the female victim suffered lacerations to both of her hands, police said.
Officers responded to the scene and placed Welhor under arrest. Both victims were transported to San Francisco General Hospital with injuries not considered life-threatening, according to police.
Welhor, who appears to go by the handle KingeArthur on Twitter and Arthur King Mann on Facebook, posted a listing to sell a “Venetian war hammer” that was “battle-ready” on the website 5miles about 8 months ago.
Earlier this month, a man on Elmira Street was arrested after allegedly stabbing his neighbors, a 70-year-old woman and a 44-year-old man, police said.
In that incident, which occurred early on the morning of August 5, officers contacted the two victims and learned that their neighbor had punched the male victim and stabbed him in the abdomen with a knife before stabbing the female victim in the lower back, police said.
Officers arrived at the scene and made contact with the suspect, identified as 23-year-old San Francisco resident Dante Khedry, who apparently admitted to his involvement in the attack, police said.
Police arrested Khedry and booked him into jail on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon and elder abuse, according to San Francisco police spokeswoman Officer Grace Gatpandan.
The victims in that incident were treated for their injuries at San Francisco General Hospital, police said.
A motive for the stabbings on Elmira Street remains under investigation.
FIREFIGHTERS ON SCENE OF MISSION DISTRICT HOUSE FIRE
Firefighters have brought a two-alarm house fire that began late Monday night in San Francisco’s Mission district, under control this morning.
At 11:07 p.m., firefighters responded to 628 Shotwell St. for reports of a fire, according to San Francisco fire officials.
When firefighters arrived on scene, firefighters found a working fire that appeared to be coming from the top floor of the three-story building, according to a fire dispatcher.
At 12:23 a.m., firefighters were able to bring the fire under control, the dispatcher said.
The fire spread to an adjacent building. Firefighters and investigators remain on the scene.One person was treated for smoke inhalation and taken a hospital, according to the dispatcher.
EMBARCADERO STATION REOPENS AFTER APPARENT SUICIDE ON TRACK
San Francisco’s Embarcadero BART station reopened Monday afternoon over three hours after a person died after being hit by a train in an apparent suicide this afternoon, BART and fire officials said.
The San Francisco fire department received reports that a male standing on the BART platform jumped in front of an oncoming train, spokeswoman Mindy Talmadge said.
The person was hit by a Dublin/Pleasanton-bound train at about 1:25 p.m., BART spokesman Jim Allison said. The medical examiner’s office was called to the station about an hour later.
The station remained closed and systemwide delays persisted for hours, until the station reopened at 5:13 p.m.
San Francisco Bay Ferry is running an extra ferry to the East Bay to help accommodate crowds during this evening’s commute, ferry officials said.
Only the San Francisco International Airport-Pittsburg/Bay Point line was running on a single track through the station during the closure.
All other lines that normally run through the station were being turned around at the West Oakland and 24th Street Mission stations, Allison said.
There are 24-hour hotlines available nationwide for anyone coping with depression or suicidal thoughts.
The Bay Area Suicide and Crisis Intervention Alliance provides regional 24-hour hotlines for suicidal individuals. In Alameda County, the number is (800) 309-2131, in Contra Costa County it’s (800) 833-2900, in
Marin County (415) 499-1100, in San Francisco (415) 781-0500 and in San Mateo
County it’s (650) 579-0359.
More information can be found at www.bascia.org.
WEATHER FORECAST FOR THE SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA
Today will be cloudy in the morning with patchy fog and then will become sunny. Highs will be in the lower 60s to lower 70s and west winds will reach 10 to 15 miles per hour.
Tonight will be mostly clear in the evening and then will become mostly cloudy with patchy fog after midnight. Lows will be in the upper 50s and west winds will reach 10 to 15 miles per hour.
Wednesday will be cloudy in the morning and then will become partly cloudy with patchy fog in the morning. Highs will be in the mid 60s to lower 70s and west winds will reach 5 to 10 miles per hour.
