Two 18-year-olds suspected in series of armed robberies in SF arrested after police chase

Two 18-year-old men were arrested after allegedly robbing people in San Francisco last weekend and then leading officers on a pursuit across the city, police said Thursday.

Francisco Zamora, of Oakland, and Darren Nguyen, of Alameda, were arrested after officers initially responded around 2:30 p.m. Saturday to a report of an attempted armed robbery of a handbag in the area of Van Ness Avenue and Sutter Street.

The 911 caller said she was walking on the sidewalk when she felt someone grab her purse, according to San Francisco police. A struggle for the handbag ensued, causing the woman to fall to the ground.

A bystander came to her assistance and the suspect let go of the handbag and fled in a vehicle. Police received a photo of the vehicle that was shared across the department.

Then at about 4:15 p.m., an officer spotted the car in the area of Hyde and Chestnut streets, and police in plainclothes who were assigned to another undercover operation followed the vehicle until officers in marked patrol cars could try to stop the vehicle safely, police said.

While the plainclothes officers were observing the suspect vehicle, they witnessed the suspects allegedly attempting several robberies as well as successfully committing one, according to police.

Officers then tried to pull over the vehicle but the suspects led them on a pursuit that ended in the area of The Embarcadero and Bryant Street, where both suspects fled on foot but were taken into custody and identified as Zamora and Nguyen, police said.

Loaded firearms were found in the possession of both suspects, who were taken to jail to be booked for several offenses, including robbery, carrying a concealed firearm in a vehicle and conspiracy.