SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) — A man described as a “prolific” auto burglar has been arrested along with a teenage accomplice, according to the San Francisco Police Department. The arrests were the result of a citywide operation.
According to police, the teenage accomplice, described by law enforcement as a male juvenile, conducted multiple auto burglaries on the same day at two different tourist destinations. On Saturday, Sept. 7, SFPD officers with the Central, Northern, Southern, Tenderloin and Taraval stations were assigned to an auto burglary suppression operation.
Central Station plainclothes officers were working in the area of the Palace of Fine Arts at around 3:15 p.m. when they observed an auto burglary. The suspect, police said, fled east on Girard Road.
Officers tried to maintain surveillance of the suspect vehicle but lost it due to the driver performing “evasive, illegal maneuvers,” which risked public safety. Police put out a description of the suspect vehicle and a short time later, an SFPD sergeant spotted it headed south on Masonic Avenue at Golden Gate Avenue.
Officers surveilled the vehicle near Alamo Square — another known tourist destination often hit by auto burglars. The sergeant put out the vehicle’s location and a description of the suspect when they saw him commit another auto burglary at Fulton and Scott streets.
Surveillance of the vehicle continued as it fled south on Buchanan Street with the suspect continuing to commit moving violations. This, police said, caused them to lose sight of the vehicle.
The vehicle was picked up again by a third SFPD sergeant as it headed east on Interstate 80 near 4th Street. Officers tailed the vehicle to the 800 block of West MacArthur Boulevard in Oakland. A police sergeant saw the male juvenile suspect take property from inside the suspect vehicle and get into a nearby vehicle. That second vehicle was recognized as being associated with 27-year-old Robert Sonza of San Francisco, a known auto burglar.
The vehicle continued to flee at a high rate of speed. Officers planned to use a tire deflation device to stop it before into a crash at Piedmont Avenue and Pleasant Valley Avenue. Sonza, police said, got out on the driver’s side and took off on foot.
The teenage accomplice also got out on foot and was taken into custody on the 5000 block of Piedmont Avenue in Oakland. Investigation revealed that the suspect vehicle involved in the Alamo Square and Palace of Fine Arts incidents was stolen.
Inside the vehicle, officers found a burglary tool and property from a Sept. 2 auto burglary near the Palace of Fine Arts. The second vehicle was also searched, yielding more stolen property and a firearm.
Property from recent auto burglaries was recovered and reunited with multiple victims, police said.
“Despite the dangerous driving of the suspects, SFPD personnel continued their surveillance from a distance for the sake of public safety and took the suspect and his accomplice, a known, prolific auto burglar, into custody,” said SFPD Chief William Scott.
Sonza was arrested for the following charges:
Receiving stolen property
Accessory after the fact
Resisting or delaying arrrest
Carrying a loaded firearm
Person convicted of misdemeanor violation of a firearm related offense
Felon in possession of a firearm
Carrying a concealed firearm in a vehicle
Possession of large capacity magazine
Conspiracy to commit a felony
The juvenile accomplice was cited for:
Theft of a vehicle
Receiving stolen property
2 counts of burglary
Possession of burglary tools
Resisting or delaying arrest
After being cited, they were released to their parent, police said. While arrests have been made, police say the investigation is ongoing.
SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) — A man described as a “prolific” auto burglar has been arrested along with a teenage accomplice, according to the San Francisco Police Department. The arrests were the result of a citywide operation. According to police, the teenage accomplice, described by law enforcement as a male juvenile, conducted multiple auto burglaries on […]
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