3 suspects arrested months after June rolling gun battle along San Francisco waterfront
Three people have been arrested following a months-long investigation of a rolling gun battle and vehicle collisions along San Francisco's waterfront in June that left several people injured.
San Francisco Police said on June 18, officers responded at about 7:12 p.m. for a report of a shooting that resulted in multiple vehicle collisions. Officers found three crime scenes: Beach and Stockton Streets near Pier 39, the Embarcadero and Kearny Street, and the Embarcadero and Howard Street.
The investigation determined that the occupants of a white Infiniti sedan and a black Chevrolet SUV were exchanging gunfire as they traveled eastbound on Beach Street toward the Embarcadero, according to police. Three vehicles that were not involved were struck by gunfire near Beach and Stockton Streets, with a 48-year-old man in one of the vehicles injured by broken glass from the gunfire.
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As the vehicles headed south along the Embarcadero, the white sedan struck a 10-year-old girl while the black SUV struck a 16-year-old girl, both of whom were crossing the Embarcadero. The 10-year-old victim was hospitalized with injuries that were not life-threatening. The 16-year-old was treated at the scene for minor injuries, police said.
Farther south along the Embarcadero, the black SUV collided with a light post and came to rest while the white sedan fled the scene. Two people inside the SUV, a 28-year-old woman and a 33-year-old man, were both hit by gunfire and taken to a hospital for treatment, police said. Both were later released from the hospital and the man was arrested. He was later released pending further investigation, according to police.
Investigators determined the occupants of the Infiniti to be an auto burglary crew on a spree of auto burglaries throughout the Northern and Central Police Districts, prior to the shooting incident, police said. They were identified as Richard Tuiasosopo, Xavier Pittman, and a male juvenile.
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On Wednesday, officers from SFPD specialized units arrested Pittman and the juvenile suspect. Police did not disclose the circumstances surrounding the arrests. Tuiasosopo was already in custody at Santa Rita Jail in Dublin on unrelated charges.
Search warrants were also served in four Bay Area counties with the assistance of the Richmond, Vallejo, and South San Francisco Police Departments, along with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). Officers seized 13 handguns, four assault-style rifles, and a large volume of ammunition, police said.
Despite the arrests, police said the investigation remained open. Anyone with information about the case was asked to call the SFPD Tip Line at 415-575-4444 or send a text to TIP411 and begin the text message with SFPD.