Armed robbery takes place under Chinatown’s lanterns on Grant Avenue in broad daylight

(SAN FRANCISCO) Two suspects, who were in a moving vehicle, robbed a tourist from China at gunpoint on Grant Avenue in San Francisco Chinatown in broad daylight. The suspects fled the scene in a vehicle and were pursued by police officers. Two suspects were arrested after their vehicle collided with another vehicle in Oakland in flames.

The officers in pursuit rescued two suspects from their fiery vehicle and saved their lives. They were hospitalized in the collision.

The names and ages of both suspects and details of the robbery have not been released by the San Francisco Police Department.

The violent armed robbery which occurred on a busy street in broad daylight had shocked the Chinatown community. Chinese New Year is coming up very soon. They are worried that similar robberies and more violence would appear during the Chinese New Year celebration in Chinatown and other Asian neighborhoods in the City.

Deputy Police Chief Julian Ng who is in charge of the operations citywide ensured that the San Francisco Police Department would step up patrols and increase police presence before and after the Chinese New Year Day which is on February 10, 2024.

"The Captains at Central, Taraval, Richmond, Ingleside and Bayview Police Stations are very well aware of the Chinese New Year coming very soon. They will increase staffing in those areas," Ng said.

"The Ambassador program, at least in Chinatown, Irving, Clement, Noriega Streets business corridors, will also be staffed up. The Police Department will be putting out safety tips and also during Captain’s community meetings/newsletters. We will also be conducting plainclothes operations to abate robberies and auto burglaries," Ng stated.

According to information from police sources and merchants in San Francisco Chinatown, the robbery occurred around 2pm on December 7, Thursday. The victim in the robbery was a 50-year-old Chinese man who is a tourist from China.

The robbery occurred inside and out of a cellular phone repair shop on the 900 block of Grant Avenue.

Surveillance videos from surrounding buildings showed that the suspects' vehicle was traveling at a low speed along Grant Avenue prior to the robbery. It was speculated that the suspects might look for victims for robbery.

The suspects' vehicle was also seen in the video that it stopped in front of the phone repair shop on 900 block of Grant Avenue, between Washington and Jackson Streets. Two suspects jumped out of their vehicle from both the driver and passenger sides.

One suspect from the driver side pulled out a gun and walked to the sidewalk trying to rob the victim who was walking and shopping around the phone repair shop.

The victim who was walking alone saw one of the suspects holding a gun in his hand. He immediately ran into the phone repair shop. Two suspects followed the victim into the shop and pulled a Louis Vuitton bag from the victim inside the shop.

Two suspects jumped back into their vehicle with the Louis Vuitton bag and fled. The victim was robbed of a certain amount of cash and his passport.

Police officers spotted suspects’ vehicle and started the pursuit in San Francisco. The pursuit was extended from San Francisco across the bay to the City of Oakland.

Suspects' vehicle was later collided with another vehicle on a bridge in Oakland in flames. Police officers rescued both suspects and sent them to the hospital.