We received the following email this evening, which has been circulating in a few neighborhood email lists. The original message was written by a female Mission resident who was attacked on Saturday evening. The assailant is still on the loose. Please stay safe and be cautious and vigilant if you are walking home alone late at night.
Update: According to Mission Local, “authorities described the suspect as an 5’8-tall Asian man who weighs approximately 160 pounds, between the ages of 20 and 30. He has a buzzcut and a slight beard and was wearing a dark hooded sweatshirt and dark pants.”
Hello -
If your getting this email its because you are a female friend in my circles, live in my neighborhood-ish, or have a large circle of women friends. I wanted to spread the word of what happened to me so hopefully you and your circles can be more aware, street smart and vigilant about your personal safety.
On Saturday evening I was walking home from a friends potluck through the mission when I was attacked – an attempted rape. I was actually being quite conscious of those around me due to the fact that I’m heading to Nairobi in several weeks and personal safety has been on my mind. As I turned up 23rd street, I noticed a man walking to me that ‘zero-ed’ in on my presence, locking eyes on me. There was no side street to turn down, and I didn’t want to turn around, exposing my back to him, so I kept walking. As we neared each other, I tried to walk around a tree quite close to the curb, before I could do so he lunged at me.
He knew what he was doing and how to attack someone. He went first for my eye socket with his thumb and put his other hand in my mouth to stifle my screams and slammed me down to the ground. He was using the hand in my mouth and on my jaw to try and slam my head on the concrete, presumably to knock me out. Once I was down on the ground he straddled me pinning down my arms. After about 15s of struggling just to avoid him knocking me out, I was able to use all my strength to surge up on my right side to unpin that arm. Since I’m a climber, I’m strong, and I don’t think he was expecting this and was unprepared for that maneuver. Luckily through this move and some biting, I was also able to get his hand out of my mouth and started screaming – first just yelling and then screaming for help. I struggled with him while screaming and trying to avoid him knocking me out for another 30s until a couple in a house several houses down the street threw open their window and turned on lights. This scared him away.
The cops came and while we drove around looking for him for awhile, we were unable to find him. This means that someone who clearly knows how to attack swiftly and effectively is still out there in our neighborhoods. This happened at 23rd between Guerrero and San [Jose] – the fridge of the mission and noe.
I’m incredibly lucky that I had the strength to keep him from delivering a knock out blow and to fight for so long until someone came to help. I’m incredibly lucky that those in the houses around me didn’t fall prey to crowd think and assume someone else was going to help. I’m walking away from this with a bruised eye, scratches on my face, road rash on my shoulder and sore/bruised back, shoulders, jaw and ribs. It could have been significantly worse.
I wanted to spread this around not to try and get attention or your sympathy, but to hopefully make you aware of the fact that attacks, and ‘bad things’ can also happen to people in your circle. We live in a big city and the best thing you can do is be incredibly conscious of your surroundings at all time. Please – walk in groups, or with a male friend, take taxis and dial up those street smarts…
Feel free to send this around to other females that could benefit from a dose of reality.
Thanks,
Amy
this is so awful and scarey. I am glad things were not worse. Is there any mention the attackers description…?
i second concerned female – if you can, could you please provide a description of the perpetrator?
I feel sorry for you. I can’t imagine what that must have been like. Glad you were able to get out of that situation, ok. So much for worrying about Nairobi, heh?
Good job – I hate that there are predators like that out there, but obviously there are, so we all need to be aware. If I see any man mistreating a woman, I am on him like a plague of righteous fury, and I am mean and unforgiving. Glad to hear that she is (considering the potential alternatives) OK.
an almost identical situation happened to me in Costa Rica. i had a knife on me when i was attacked, but i was afraid it would be turned back on me. kicking, biting, screaming and strength also freed me from rape or being knocked unconscious. now, i walk with pepperspray IN MY HAND when i’m out alone at night. i hope this doesn’t keep you on edge during your trip to Nairobi. have a wonderful trip (with pockets bursting of mace and rape whistles). kudos to you, my dear. thank you for posting.
“Why are we spending so much money on whistles?”
San Carlos doesn’t run to 23rd and isn’t next to Guerrero. Would appreciate some clarification on the location of the incident and a description of the perpetrator.
San Jose… not San Carlos.
Around what time did it happen?
Is there any picture about the man?
Nowhere does it say the desc…can you confirm this one? Asian male, 20s, 5’8″, skinny, buzz cut, short beard…last seen wearing black hoodie, dark pants. I am sure the police won’t mind the info being out there since I can’t find anything and have lots of friends in the Mission.
Bullshit shit story ? Rape the mission of cheap rent not girls!
great joke asshole
Thanks for sharing. Do you have a description of the guy? Any details would help us keep an eye out for this fucker.
Ok this whole article if true is scary as f*&K. But it somehow reads like a my name is Beuaregard from Nigeria email. Just doesn’t feel right. Yeah?
I personally know the victim. She is not someone to lie about this.
I don’t personally know you. Just sayin’.
True. But i have a fairly large web presence under “suburbanite”, both here and on other blogs. So, you know, probably not something I’d blow just to support a false story.
Is a there a police report/ Is there a description? Fuck this is scary.
“web presence.”
Is that so? Never heard of you, here or otherwise.
Congrats on your large web presence, bro.
hes a big deal guys
…”fairly large web presence” wasn’t a e-brag.
That was me saying “sure, you don’t know me, but I’m not trying to hide who i am.”
There’s more to this world then your Klout score.
We got a Bad Ass here folks.
Id love to see a police report or anything from the police.If this woman was attacked and rode in the police car looking for this suspect that has no description given,then there is a police report somewhere. This is a very serious matter and we hope the police are on top of it.
No. This sounds totally legit.
crimemapping.com doesn’t have the incident, but I’m not sure how reliable that site is. http://www.crimemapping.com/map.aspx?ll=-13627839.379254896,4544775.706472582&z=16&db=1/01/2013&de=1/07/2013
@suburbanite, do you have any info on the suspect?
Thank you for posting this, and I hope that people will repost with their networks.. I went to the po po website recently to see if they were posting any information about the guy walking around on sunday wearing a ski mask with a large hunting knife on his belt, and noticed that the po po website was about a week delayed in posting crime reports. not that i am saying there is a connection between these two incidents, just that the po po website is not the fastest way to get information about crime, apparently. this said, i agree that a description would be helpful.
Haa..that was me. I was drunk . Just having a little fun. People are so scary these days.
Stay safe out there, and watch your back. but remember the overwhelming majority of rapes aren’t from the monster in the bushes, but a dude you already know.
For those that don’t know, here’s the skinny on that block (I’ve lived within a couple blocks of there for about 12 years):
You have a some usually harmless sketchiness on the corner of 23rd and Valencia, where a group of street folk often hang out drinking in front of Thanasi’s, often with a radio perched on the garbage can. The block of San Jose btwn 23rd and 22nd has some shadiness on it, but nothing too bad. 23rd up from there is dark, lots of trees, but mostly single family homes. San Jose from 23rd to 24th is wide open and mostly quiet.
I’ve never seen much action of any kind on 23rd btwn San Jose and Guerrero. It saddens me greatly to hear this. I hope no one would make something like this up, but I also hope this is not true.
A police report was filed.
http://missionlocal.org/2013/01/police-seek-publics-help-in-search-for-aggravated-assault-suspect/
the corner of 23rd and san jose is pretty pathetic. There are often homeless people who sleep by the trees behind the gas station. People often through garbage here as well. It is just awful. Once the corner of 23rd and valencia is developed I believe this will help. Before then, perhaps the city can put some additional lights on that corner and CLEAN IT UP!!
True. That lot has been vacant for years and has been a constant magnet for trouble. It will be a great improvement when they finally build something there.
Thank you for posting.
I am a female, age 29. I was assaulted in front of 3000 23rd Street (at Harrison Street) on December 9, 2012.
I was followed by a 5’5″ Latino male who grabbed me from behind and pinned down my arms while I was punching in the door code to the apartment. The building is very well lit. It was about 8:30pm. The entire incident is on two security cameras. The man got his hands down the front of my pants and left many bruises on my body. I fought him off and got a lot of hits in. I do not have a better description of the man because I WAS ASSAULTED. It is hard to remember a description when you are fighting for your life.
I could not watch the security footage because I was in shock. SFPD is in possesion of the footage.
This is my SFPD Incident Report Number: 120993747. The Reporting Officer: Habib, Star 2329
This man is out there. The two cops who came told me there had been three other assaults on 23rd that same week on women around my age.
You want a description? Attempted Rape is your description. Assault and Battery is your description.
Nightmares are my description, that and the fact that the SFPD now has photos of my lady parts as “evidence” because that asshole did some damage with his hands down my pants.
Please be safe. I haven’t felt safe in weeks.
That’s awful. I hope they catch the guy.
I am so sorry thy happened to you. I know what you are going through as I am fairly certain I am one of the three the police were referring to…
I believe this is the same dude that attacked me on 24/Dolores on dec 5, 2012 around 1am. Latino male in black hoodies and jeans, around that height, followed me and grabbed me with his arms. I screamed my head off and fortunately he let go. No one bothered to look out of the window to see what happened.
I reported the incident to the mission police station, they told me that the description of the suspect matched some other similar reports they got.
I hope you are doing okay. I am still feeling terrified every time I’m out in the city at night. The sense of imminent danger and the terror of being attacked, are still with me.
Be safe, and please please if anyone hear anybody screaming on the street, help.
This is crazy. Please be careful out there. I live in that neighborhood and was gunned at gun point in that exact location mid December. The description: 5″8 African American, longer goatee, dark clothing….
*mugged
this jerk deserves to be raped
This is the description listed in the report:
The suspect as an 5’8-tall Asian man who weighs approximately 160 pounds, between the ages of 20 and 30. He has a buzzcut and a slight beard and was wearing a dark hooded sweatshirt and dark pants.
http://noevalleysf.blogspot.com/2013/01/crime-beat-woman-narrowly-escapes.html
^ This has a description of the person and the time it happened.
Authorities described the suspect as an 5’8-tall Asian man who weighs approximately 160 pounds, between the ages of 20 and 30. He has a buzzcut and a slight beard and was wearing a dark hooded sweatshirt and dark pants.
(2:40 AM)
That is horrible.
From the description of the attack he wasn’t merely trying to “knock you out” ,but trying to murder you.
Where is the description for this guy?
Also, I’ve noticed the media doesn’t give descriptions of assailants anymore.
We updated the post a few hours ago with a description.
Ladies,
Please carry pepper spray with you and have it out in your hands!
In August I was jumped by five guys in broad daylight in Western Addition. I had just gotten off the bus on the corner of McAllister and Webster and these guys were at the bus stop. They seemed really sketchy so I walked quickly onto Webster toward Golden Gate only to find that the entire street was empty, which was bizarre on a Friday afternoon.
The guys followed me and I had nowhere to go. One of them punched me in the face so hard that I flew onto my back onto a ledge in front of an apartment building.
Laying on my back with five men coming at me trying to rob me was the most terrifying experience of my life. Luckily I am strong and was able to fight them off while screaming my head off. I am still on the long road to recovery due to a maxillofacial fracture, concussion, broken teeth and mild ptsd.
The biggest lesson I learned was to trust my instincts. If you are walking down the sidewalk and a sketchy person is coming up behind you or in front of you, start doing weird things. Start singing really loudly or walk into the middle of the road where they will be out in the open if they come after you. And most of all, carry pepper spray out where you can use it.
I always thought that these types of things only happen at night. But more and more these are happening during the day when a single person is caught alone.
Just want to add, to consider wind direction with pepper spray. I know it’s a lot to think about while being attacked, so I’m wondering if training is useful.
My friend used pepper spray on a knife wielding attacker. Though it bought some extra seconds, it also backfired on her in wind. She ended up outrunning him, screaming and scaling a chainlink fence in heeled boots, while partially blinded.
Walking into the middle of the road has worked for me while being pursued. And in potential carjacking as passenger, my friend drove erratically in middle of road until they gave up following us. Sound crazy, this was LA late night… Anything to get attention of police or someone to call 911.
Grateful for this discussion and also sorry for the reasons we’re here. Much support to you all.
The point above about pepper spray and wind is worth thinking about. There are a few types of spray patterns, and seeing as how it is often windy in SF, it would be worth getting one with a stream rather than fog. Also, the places that sell pepper spray often have canisters with an inert substance so that you can practice spraying. Hopefully you’ll never have to use the real one, but if so, you’ll already be familiar with how it works.
After being mugged in December (western addition) I bought pepper spray gel. You can shoot it further and because it’s viscous it won’t contaminate the air around you.
It also has a UV dye in it so whoever you hit with it is covered in paint that is hard to wash off. Makes it easier for the police to find him.
I thankfully have not had to use it yet, but it seems to be far superior to spray.
There’s a solidarity march in the Mission on Friday afternoon to draw attention to this problem.
http://www.facebook.com/events/320563391378674/
To be brave enough to post stories with the hope of saving another woman speaks volumes. Shame on the trolls doubting the victims who wish to share their stories. About 3 months ago, walking home to my apartment on Harrison at 23rd, a man in a white van slowed down across the street from me and creepily asked if I needed a ride. I stopped and immediately called my boyfriend even though I was about 10 yards away from my front door. My bf didn’t answer so I watched this man intently as he drove alongside me with my every step. He finally sped off, aware that I was aware.
I share this as a direct effect of reading the terrifying story of the woman who was assaulted half a block from my former home a month ago. I want to put this out there, after all, the more information the better. Please be careful and aware of your surroundings.
I really just sangre to vive you a ride.jeeeez
Thank you for sharing this difficult experience so that we can all be more vigilant.
If you are lucky enough to see someone within 100 yards that doesn’t look safe, err on the side of yelling, “Stay Back” “Get Away” “Don’t come any further” at the risk of looking crazy or coming across rude, and cross the street or walk in the middle of the street.
I will only add that if you’re attacked and are not as lucky as Amy to escape, try to maintain focus on your attacker to later identify him in as much as detail as possible, particularly shoes. This sounds trivial, but shoes are a helpful at identify attackers.
First off, my heart goes out to this recent victim as well as the others who have posted their experiences here.
It seems like many neighborhoods in SF have been experiencing a significant increase in violent street crime during the past few months. I’ve heard of and read about way too many muggings, stabbings, assault & battery, and attempted rapes. Something is definitely up and it’s not good. I’ve lived in SF for 11.5 years and I’ve never felt as tense walking through the streets alone as I do now… and I’m a 6’3” male who’s more than capable of defending himself. I’m hoping that all this represents an unfortunate trend that will soon pass. If it doesn’t though, then neighborhoods are going to have to come together and discuss how to deal with violent crime and keep each other safe.
All these google niggas gett’n Raped.
I was was attacked on @24th and Mission. My friends were running ahead for the bus, which happened to have a cop car stopped bhind it. I was walking slower because of my high heels (we were going to a club, The Stud). Before I knew it a young (20ish or less) Latino male with short hair and no facial hair tried to grab me, but I showed him my mace and said “you better fucking run”, but instead, he bashed me with a brick right in the face. I was hardly conscious as I tried to wave down the cop car. They clearly saw the whole thing but didn’t stop. Because the cops were caught in traffic I was able to run up to them before they left (they were trying to). I asked why they hadd not intervened and their horrific answer was that they assumed it was a “private” incident, between a “pimp and ho”. We drove around but never found the bastard. I had a big shiner for a week, and a chipped tooth to this day. Be careful, ladies, this one happened right in front of a cop car!
So, as far as these cops were concerned, a pimp hitting a ho is ‘private’, just part of the game?
Is it not a crime to hit a woman? Is a ‘ho’ not a woman, but rather just a subhuman receptacle and beneath the protection of the “Law”. Do cops not Protect and Serve all, or do they decide on a case by case basis. I don’t pay them to make such a distinction. I pay them to protect ALL. This attitude by those cops really pisses my off if it’s true. And they wonder why so many people, regular tax-paying cubile-dwellers like me, hate cops. Yes, Hate Cops.
Wow, that’s seriously fucked. I guess the moral of the story is that if you have pepper spray, don’t tell the guy you’re going to use it, just go ahead and use it? Guh. So seriously disheartening that an assault would be ignored by police who witnessed it.
i can’t believe the cops tried to drive off. if you ever pull out your mace again in the future, use it. if you just pull it out and brandish it, you are escalating the situation. spray that shit the second it comes out of your purse and then run like hell.
This is hilarious. Maybe you shouldnt dress Like a ho.
Fuck you.
i read somewhere else that the attacker in the case that prompted this post was apprehended, but i haven’t seen that confirmed anywhere and the place i read it was a facebook page. does anyone know if this is true? not that it means we can all go back to not being aware of our surroundings and having a false sense of safety, since clearly by the posts here, attacks are not uncommon, but i would like to know if this particular attacker was really arrested.
I hope that the the offender which started this original post was apprehended, sounds like a super dangerous dude.
As for my story, I learned a lot from the experience. One was what many of you said, including rob, don’t pull out your mace unless you intend to use it. The reason I didn’t use it right away was because I thought aiming it @ his face was enough, and I didn’t know which was the wind was blowing> Truth is, I should have sprayed the fukk out of his face and ran to the waiting bus (and my pals).
The cops, in this situation, where worse than useless.
Given the recent high profile trial and sentencing of the serial murderer/ rapist from 24th Street, l venture to say this man may be attacking women at least partially in reaction.
This points to an acute antisocial personality; l’m sad to say, but almost certain, that the anger generated and expressed in the community will encourage this man to strike again.
Authorities and the courts need to be sensitive about the causes of such acts in dealing with them. l agree with the above comments that police officers serially make poor decisions in sexual assault/ DV cases. And now, the fact that this person is out there attacking women at this moment shows that those who hold higher office, who dealt with the aforementioned rapist/ murderer are incompetent. Campus violence generates copycats, this is well-known; so do serial acts of violence, this is also well-known. If the authorities have an interest in dealing with after effects that they can expect, i.e. copycats, they could have developed proper training and programs for it years ago! Instead we get appointed career politicians who know fuck all about public safety and judges looking to level up handling matters directly related to our physical safety.
This town is not a tourist trap amusement park, people live here!
spray him in the face, then finish with a scrotal twist
Hi,
I live in the mission and once a black guy about 6″ during day light as I was walking home about 1pm in an OPEN street in the middle of the day approached me as he wanted to take my number, I ignored him and kept walking home on 21st, I didn’t think much of it since its happened before (that random people say hi or flirt) and it was sunny, middle of the day in what could be sort of busy street as I got home (ready to put the key)when I noticed he was standing next to me and quickly grabbed my butt really strong, I was in shock and froze then he runned.
I want also want to THANK the two men that have helped me while walking in dark streets…(YES! learned not to walk alone in dark streets, somehow I felt safe that in SF this did not happened).
1- Thanks to the Latin guy in a bicycle who while coming from the 24hr gym in Potrero at night towards my home in 21st..approached me to ask if he could walk me home or some blocks (at that time I was so naïve and use to go to the gym so late at night)..He said its dangerous to walk around these streets so late at night due to heard incidents of rape, but there I was! and thankfully he did walk next to me as I got home, then he left. Now that I recall he was hesitant at first to approach me but was passing by many times in his bike, perhaps he thought I would be afraid of him but if a guy sees a woman (stranger) in what could be danger How can he help her, since leaving her to the empty streets can be the danger itself? either watching her from afar or doing what he did (In this case maybe because I’m Hispanic he felt comfortable talking to me)…..
2- The time that through a busy street on a weekend SAT as I walked all of the sudden I saw how EMPTY it was!…and how much more I had to walk..then I felt as if the whole world came upon me and just hoped I would not see someone sketchy around me…then inside I prayed for lights! maybe a car? none…
THEN I heard a bus coming! but I was not even close to the stop! and it sounded to come so fast..impossible to see me..then a hear a sudden stop and the door immediately opened next to me!…ohhh…he said “come on, get in!”…I didn’t even had money to pay.. but he saw me and just stopped so I would not walk through there although it was way far from the stop sign. THANK YOU!!..
Ladies PLEASE DONT WALK ALONE IN THE DARK!!!!! EVEN daylight is dangerous imagine at night. Thank you for those to kind guys that were looking out.
pray him in the face, then finish with a scrotal twist
spray him in the face, then finish with a scrotal twist
Reply
We Out Here says:
January 10, 2013 at 6:02 am
All these google niggas gett’n Raped.
sasafdsda