Tuesday San Francisco News Roundup
Airbnb Says Guest Suspected of Stealing $35K of Valuables From Residence Taken Into Custody
A Richmond woman suspected of stealing $35,000 from a home she rented in San Francisco through the online lodging website Airbnb, has been booted off the homesharing website and taken into custody by law enforcement, according to Airbnb officials.
“Law enforcement have notified us that the suspect is now in custody, and we hope they will be brought to justice,” Airbnb spokesman Jakob Kerr said in a statement Monday.
San Francisco police spokesman Officer Albie Esparza, however, said Monday afternoon that while the suspect wanted in connection with the June 8 theft at a residence in the 1400 block of 27th Avenue has been identified as 27-year-old Richmond resident Jana Dominquez, she is not in their custody nor has she been arrested by the San Francisco Police Department.
Dominquez has an active felony warrant for 2nd degree burglary and falsely impersonating another person, according to police.
Esparza said it’s possible she was picked up in another jurisdiction.
Kerr, however, insisted that police alerted Airbnb that the suspect was in custody.
“We have zero tolerance for this sort of behavior in our community, and this guest has been permanently removed from Airbnb,” Kerr said Monday.
Kerr said situations like this are incredibly rare and that Airbnb has been in close contact with the host and are working to take care of her under their Host Guarantee program.
However, not everyone who hosts or rents a lodging on the site are verified users and it’s ultimately up to the guest and the host to decide whether they choose to conduct business with unverified individuals on the site.
Kerr didn’t say whether the suspect in this case was a verified user.
While the theft was reported on June 8, the victim told investigators that she had recently rented out her residence through the online lodging website starting on Apr. 27.
During the customer’s stay, the customer had access to the entire apartment, with the exception of a closet and an office that are kept locked and inaccessible to guests, according to police.
The victim said the customer forced her way into the locked closet and office, and made off with over $35,000 in valuables, police said.
The victim gave police a copy of the video surveillance to her apartment, which clearly showed the suspect entering through the locked door and allowed police to identify the suspect.
Thousands Expected For Outside Lands Festival This Weekend
Tens of thousands of concertgoers are expected to flock to San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park this coming weekend for the eighth annual Outside Lands Music & Arts Festival, a three-day fete that is among the largest such events in the country.
Elton John, Mumford & Sons and the Black Keys are among the headliners for the festival, which takes place Friday through Sunday and is now completely sold out, according to organizers.
In addition to the some 70 musical acts spread out over the long weekend, the festival will also feature comedians, a DJ dome, and food and drinks from a wide variety of local restaurants, wineries and breweries.
A portion of the proceeds from Outside Lands ticket sales will benefit the San Francisco Recreation & Park Department. The festival has raised more than $10 million for the city department during the previous incarnations of the event, according to figures released by promoter Another Planet Entertainment.
In addition to directly donating money to benefit Golden Gate Park, the festival will also host several environmental, charitable and non-profit organizations, such as Garden For The Environment, Friends of The Urban Forest and Oxfam, along with many more to share information with attendees.
Festival organizers, along with SF Surfrider, Surf For Life and local clothing company San Franpsycho, are also hosting an Ocean Beach clean-up on Saturday morning.
Residents of the Sunset and Richmond neighborhoods are being advised that there will be several road closures in Golden Gate Park, and organizers have set up a community hotline for residents to call with any concerns or issues having to do with the festival.
Festival-goers are strongly being encouraged to take public transit to Outside Lands. San Francisco Municipal Railway will be running extra buses, while a pre-paid shuttle service to and from the park to Bill Graham Civic Auditorium in downtown San Francisco is also available.
More information can be found at www.sfoutsidelands.com or by calling the community hotline at (415) 872-1650.
Today’s Weather Forecast
Today will be mostly cloudy with a slight chance of thunderstorms in the afternoon. Highs will be in the 60s and west winds will reach 5 to 10 miles per hour.
Tonight will be partly cloudy in the evening and then become mostly cloudy with patchy fog after midnight. Lows will be in the upper 50s and west winds will reach 5 to 15 miles per hour.
Wednesday will be mostly cloudy in the morning with patchy fog and then become partly cloudy. Highs will be in the 60s and west winds will reach 5 to 15 miles per hour.
