Tuesday, March 20, 2007

Just Another Beautiful Fucking Day In The Neighborhood...

All these lovely stories from SFGate on Tuesday, March 20th...

(03-20) 19:47 PDT
-- San Francisco police are investigating a rush-hour shooting Tuesday near the busy South Van Ness Avenue and Mission Street intersection that prompted numerous 911 calls, left one man hospitalized with a critical gunshot wound and ended with the gunman surrendering as police arrived.

The shooting occurred at about 5:30 p.m. in front of 74 Otis Street [SFity notes that this would be the Power Exchange sex club... or so I've heard ; )]. Numerous callers to the 911 line reported hearing multiple shots fired in the area and seeing a man with a gun running toward South Van Ness Ave., said police Sgt. Kevin McNaughton.

As police drove up in front of 74 Otis, a man with a gun threw up his arms and surrendered, McNaughton said. The suspect's name was not released. Police found a victim, a male who had been shot in the back. He was taken to San Francisco General Hospital, where he was listed in critical condition. Police did not release the victim's name.

McNaughton said police are continuing to investigate what prompted the shooting.

"Right now we have witnesses coming forward right and left,'' he said.


Or maybe this will brighten your day...

(03-20) 15:52 PDT -- A parolee faces murder charges after he allegedly ran down and killed a pedestrian in the Mission District after the two got into an argument early today, police said.

The 2 a.m. incident began when the suspect, Hamilton Diaz, 25, was driving southbound on Valencia Street and attempted to make a left turn eastbound onto 16th Street, police spokesman Sgt. Neville Gittens said.

"The victim and his friend were crossing the street -- we don't know what took place exactly ... but words were exchanged, and the suspect stopped his car and got out," Gittens said. "More words were exchanged, then the suspect got back in his vehicle."

The suspect began driving toward the two pedestrians, Gittens said, at which point the victim began punching the car. The pedestrians took off walking northbound on Valencia Street, Gittens said, but the suspect drove his car up onto the sidewalk and hit the victim with the vehicle, throwing his body into the air.

The suspect drove away but tried to park nearby, Gittens said. Police cordoned off the area and eventually arrested Diaz.

He was arrested on suspicion of homicide, assault with a deadly weapon, failing to report an accident and violating parole.


Too conventional for 'ya? Let's end on this happy note...

San Francisco police are seeking to determine whether the slaying of a transgender victim found naked near the Interstate 280 freeway is somehow linked to reports of a nude woman seen walking on the same freeway two hours later, authorities said Monday.

Inspector Karen Lynch of the homicide detail said investigators were summoned at 5:40 a.m. Friday to Indiana and Cesar Chavez streets and found the unidentified victim of a homicide on the sidewalk.

Lynch said it appeared the victim had been in the process of becoming a woman.

"We don't have the identity on the person yet, except the medical examiner has determined that this is a homicide,'' she said Monday. "The victim was completely nude, and we are asking for the public's help in finding anyone who has seen anything suspicious or could help us.''

The victim was Latina, about 30 years old, with black, shoulder length curly hair, Lynch said. She had healed cuts that left scars on her arms.

Shortly after 8 a.m., authorities began to hear reports of a woman walking nude on the side of Interstate 280, near Highway 101. "It could have been somebody related to this person, but this person was seen walking on the freeway. It's suspicious because the woman was seen getting into a blue metallic car.''

The second woman is described as a light-skinned white woman, slender, about 5 foot 5, 25 to 30 years old, with long, reddish-blond hair. Anyone with information about the case is asked to call the homicide unit at (415) 553-1145.

Tina D'Elia, hate violence survivor program director for Community United Against Violence, said she learned about the events from the police.

She said transgender victims of hate crimes and extremely violent killings, so-called overkill slayings, are frequently left partially clothed or completely nude.

"It's making a statement and humiliating a victim,'' she said. "I want to know if anyone in the community knows who she is, or had seen or spoken to her that day. It's very devastating to hear this.'

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