San Francisco Police Arrest Noe Valley Attempted Armed Robbery Suspect
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) -- San Francisco Police apprehended the prime suspect in a May daytime armed robbery attempt in Noe Valley on Tuesday, officers said.
On Saturday May 25th, at approximately 3:07 pm, San Francisco Police officers from Mission Station responded to the 3800 block of 24th Street for a report of an armed robbery. Officers located the victim, a 70-year-old Asian male, who told them the following: he was standing outside on the sidewalk when a white sedan stopped near him. An unknown man exited the vehicle, grabbed him, and pointed a firearm at him. The suspect then demanded the victim's watch.
A family member of the victim, a 30-year-old woman, observed what was happening and when she attempted to intervene, a physical struggle ensued. Both victims fell to the ground during the incident and sustained non-life-threatening injuries. The suspect was unsuccessful in taking the watch. He then ran to a waiting vehicle, got in, and fled the scene. The victims were treated for their injuries at the scene.
The SFPD Robbery Detail led the investigation. Investigators were able to obtain a sample of the suspect's DNA on the victim's clothing, and also obtained the suspect's phone records, which placed him at the scene. The suspect was identified as 23-year-old Dreshaun Townsend of South San Francisco.
On August 10th, officers from the Robbery Detail along with members of the SFPD Tactical Unit served search and arrest warrants on the 3700 block of Radburn Drive in South San Francisco. Townsend was taken into custody and placed under arrest without incident.
Townsend was later transported to San Francisco County Jail where he was booked on charges of attempted robbery, assault by means likely to cause great bodily injury, and a firearm enhancement. Townsend also had two outstanding warrants based out of San Benito and Kern Counties.
While an arrest has been made, the investigation remains open and active. Anyone with information is asked to call the SFPD Tip Line at 1-415-575-4444 or Text a Tip to TIP411 and begin the text message with SFPD. You may remain anonymous.
