Mobs of teenagers have clashed in a series of violent brawls at San Francisco malls, caught on video in a hand-to-hand fight, attacking and stomping on each other as well as seemingly innocent bystanders.

The San Francisco Police Department told Fox News Digital in a statement that three separate incidents occurred at the Stonestown Galleria mall from March 15-17, in which groups of youth attacked each other or bystanders.

“On Friday, several youths were sprayed with pepper spray by other youths,” the department said. “Officials responded to the scene and the youth was evicted from the area. Officers discovered a youth suffering injuries as a result of the physical altercation.”

The victim was being treated at a hospital for non-life-threatening injuries, police said. No arrests were made.

Cellphone video from an incident at a Target store around 4 p.m. Friday shows a group of young people lunging at a man and then knocking him to the ground.

SAN FRANCISCO POLICE DEPARTMENT HAS HIRED UNCERTIFIED, UNDOCUMENTED OFFICERS TO FILL VACANCIES, AUDIT FIND

READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP

Groups of teenagers have been involved in multiple fights at a San Francisco mall in recent days.

“In recent weeks, there have been altercations between young people at the Stonestown Shopping Center, resulting in physical injuries,” District 7 supervisor Myrna Melgar wrote on Twitter on Sunday.

“Stonestown private security was overwhelmed and SFPD officers were deployed. Videos of the clashes were posted and promoted live on Instagram.”

Melgar said the mall will increase its security patrols.

“I’m very scared,” food court clerk Guang Wei, who witnessed one of the food court fights, told CBS Bay Area. “I can’t keep doing business here in this environment.”

SAN FRANCISCO LEADER HILLARY RONEN ASKS FOR MORE POLICE IN HER DISTRICT AFTER VOTING FOR DEFUNDING IN 2020

Supervisor Joel Engardio told the station that the city is 500 police officers below what it should be for a city of its size.

“We need police officers who are on the beat, who are on the street, who are in malls like Stonestown,” Engardio said. “We don’t have that luxury at the moment because we have so few police officers.”

The story goes on

The police department told Fox News Digital that it is “working closely with mall officials to assess the security measures in place to combat criminal activity, particularly the acts of violence and physical altercations.”

The San Francisco Police Department has been plagued by staff shortages in recent years, with the number of full-time sworn officers declining 12% from 2019 to 2022, CBS News reported last month. As of January, the department employed 1,537 officers, well below the recommended 2,182 officers, according to City Warden Matt Dorsey.

EX SAN FRAN POLICE OFFICER WANTS CAR HEISTING AS ‘BASIC CITY LIFE’ EXPERIENCE IN ATTEMPTED DUNK ON CEO OFF

“San Francisco is on the precipice of a potentially catastrophic police shortage, and there are too many public safety issues that we will be helpless to confront unless we first start solving the SFPD’s understaffing crisis,” Dorsey said in a previous one declaration year.

Mayor London Breed diverted $120 million from law enforcement to fund other city initiatives in 2020 as crime in the city continued to rise – with a 20% increase in homicides in 2020 compared to 2019. Homicides increased 17% increase in 2021 compared to the previous year. according to the city.

By December 2021, Breed made an emergency request to the Board of Supervisors to allocate more funding to the Metropolitan Police, but the department struggled to achieve an ideal staffing position.

SAN FRANCISCO RESIDENTS HAVE CRIME, HOMELESSNESS: ‘IT’S GETTING LESS SAFE’

People sit at Alamo Square overlooking the San Francisco skyline.

“There is no excuse for violence, but there are steps we can take to prevent this type of behavior from becoming pervasive in our schools and our city,” Mayor Breed said Tuesday in a lengthy joint news release with the San Francisco Unified School District, addressing steps being taken to address juvenile delinquency in the city.

“As city leaders, we are committed to working with the school district to ensure our children are safe and receiving the support they need, especially after the incredible toll our young people have endured over the past few years.”

Melgar said in the press release that “the majority of youth at the crime scene are bystanders who live recorded this violence and posted it on social media to elicit likes and more followers.”

“We are outraged by the unacceptable behavior at Stonestown Galleria, which is a clear violation of our code of conduct,” a spokesman for the mall told Fox News Digital. “We are working closely with school, city and law enforcement agencies to address this issue.”

“The safety and well-being of our guests and renters is our top priority and we will not tolerate this disruptive behavior.”

Police told Fox News Digital that they “have no evidence that these incidents are related, nor are they linked to any school or school activity.”

“We have not determined where these youth are from and we cannot confirm the schools these students attend.”

Fox News Digital’s Emma Colton and Andrea Vacchiano contributed to this report.

The post Roaming mobs of teenagers conflict in San Francisco mall brawls as bystanders caught in crosshairs: ‘I am very scared’ appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

A wayward mountain lion roams San Francisco’s bustling Bernal Heights neighborhood, far from the quiet green spaces it calls home.

The sightings, one from an eyewitness and another via a home security video, took place between 3 a.m. and 6 a.m. on Tuesday. San Francisco Animal Care and Control spokeswoman Deb Campbell said puma sightings are not uncommon in the city, but research reveals many to be common house cats. Those sightings on Gaven Street and near Bernal Heights Park, however, were the real deal.

“If we hadn’t seen him in this video, we might have thought it was a large, healthy domestic cat that the eyewitness saw,” said Campbell.

I’ve just spoken to the homeowner in the Portola district who shot the mountain lion. She gave me the original video which is a little clearer than the one I posted earlier. pic.twitter.com/HBEZnwyI9A

– Andrea Nakano (@AndreaKPIX) May 19, 2021

Campbell said the mountain lion appeared large and may have been an adult. A mountain lion made it to Mission Bay a year ago, but that person was a lanky teenager.

“The lockdown is over,” joked Campbell. “Maybe he was looking for nightlife but couldn’t find one and went home.”

The home is likely to be in South Bay, particularly in the Crystal Springs area. This is likely to be a very stressful experience for the poor adventurer as mountain lions are naturally retired. This shyness can also explain why no one saw the puma cruising the city streets in daylight or at dusk.

“You’re shy, you keep to yourself,” said Campbell. “We have more mountain lion visitors than we actually experience.”

Animal Care and Control patrolled the neighborhood looking for further evidence of the furry visitor, but did not see him. Campbell says the mountain lion may have made it out of town by now, but neighbors should take sensible precautions, such as walking back and forth. B. Keeping your dogs on a leash and watching your young children. When the animal approaches, make yourself big, wave your arms, and don’t turn your back or run.

Anyone who sees the mountain lion should call the Animal Care and Control emergency number at 415-554-9400.

The post Mountain lion noticed roaming San Francisco’s Bernal Heights appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

Just after midnight last night, Oakland Zoo took in a two-year-old male mountain lion captured in the Bernal Heights neighborhood of San Francisco. This male marks the 16th rescue of a mountain lion for the zoo by the Alliance of the Bay Area Cougar Action Team (BACAT)

OAKLAND. Calif., May 20, 2021 / PRNewswire-PRWeb / – Oakland Zoo helped rescue a two-year-old male mountain lion found in San Francisco this morning by officials at the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CADFW). He was taken to the Oakland Zoo for a temporary stay while he received a full exam, blood tests, and vaccines for preventative care.

Mr. Handsome, unofficially named by Oakland Zoo’s veterinary staff, was taken to a holding area of ​​the zoo’s veterinary hospital overnight pending examinations this morning. He was determined to have a total bill of healthy, hydrated, and a healthy weight of 98.5 pounds. He was treated for internal and external parasites (often found in wildlife) and vaccinated during his examination.

Long distance travel in neighborhoods is not uncommon for mountain lions of this time. Mountain lions are far-reaching species that are known to exhibit “dispersal behaviors” that result in them traveling long distances in search of food, good homes, and mates.

“We are proud to do our part to save and protect wildlife through our partnerships and collaboration with CDFW, the Bay Area Puma Project and the San Francisco Police Department, “said Dr. Herman, vice president of veterinary services at Oakland Zoo.

Mr Handsome is currently on his way to be released from in a rural, uninhabited area Santa Clara County from CDFW to continue living free in the wild.

Mountain lions are exposed to numerous threats California, often hit by cars, killed with expropriation permits and illegally poached. These factors culminate in a conflict between humans and animals, which brings them into conflict with humans and interferes with urban areas and developments. Oakland Zoo works with conservation organizations like the Mountain Lion Foundation and the Bay Area Puma Project to educate the public about the issue and help protect species in the wild.

The story goes on

The Oakland Zoo helped establish BACAT (Bay Area Cougar Action Team), an alliance with the Bay Area Puma Project and the Mountain Lion Foundation, in 2013 to help CADFW rescue mountain lions that are in conflict between humans and Animal are trapped.

Contact:
Erin Harrison
Oakland Zoo
eharrison@oaklandzoo.org
Office: 510-632-9525 ext 120
Cell: 415-601-1619

Isabella Linares placeholder image
Oakland Zoo
ilinares@oaklandzoo.org
Office: 510-632-9525 ext 239
Cell: 650-776-9589

###

ABOVE OAKLAND ZOO AND THE CONSERVATION SOCIETY OF CALIFORNIA::
The Oakland Zoo, home to more than 850 native and exotic animals, is managed by the Conservation Society of California (CSC); A nonprofit that leads an informed and inspired community to take action on wildlife locally and globally. With over 25 nature conservation partners and projects worldwide, the CSC is committed to nature conservation-based education and the rescue of species and their habitats in the wild. Oakland Zoo is dedicated to the humane treatment of animals and is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), the national organization that sets the highest standards for animal welfare in zoos and aquariums.

Media contact

Isabella Linares placeholder image, Oakland Zoo, 5106329525, ilinares@oaklandzoo.org

Twitter Facebook

SOURCE Oakland Zoo

The post Mountain Lion Roaming San Francisco Bernal Heights Neighborhood Introduced To Oakland Zoo appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

OAKLAND. Calif., May 20, 2021 / PRNewswire-PRWeb / – Oakland Zoo helped rescue a two-year-old male mountain lion found in San Francisco this morning by officials at the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CADFW). He was taken to the Oakland Zoo for a temporary stay while he received a full exam, blood tests, and vaccines for preventative care.

Mr. Handsome, unofficially named by Oakland Zoo’s veterinary staff, was taken to a holding area of ​​the zoo’s veterinary hospital overnight pending examinations this morning. He was determined to have a total bill of healthy, hydrated, and a healthy weight of 98.5 pounds. He was treated for internal and external parasites (often found in wildlife) and vaccinated during his examination.

Long distance travel in neighborhoods is not uncommon for mountain lions of this time. Mountain lions are far-reaching species that are known to exhibit “dispersal behaviors” that result in them traveling long distances in search of food, good homes, and mates.

“We are proud to do our part to save and protect wildlife through our partnerships and collaboration with CDFW, the Bay Area Puma Project and the San Francisco Police Department, “said Dr. Herman, vice president of veterinary services at Oakland Zoo.

Mr Handsome is currently on his way to be released from in a rural, uninhabited area Santa Clara County from CDFW to continue living free in the wild.

Mountain lions are exposed to numerous threats California, often hit by cars, killed with expropriation permits and illegally poached. These factors culminate in a conflict between humans and animals, which brings them into conflict with humans and interferes with urban areas and developments. Oakland Zoo works with conservation organizations like the Mountain Lion Foundation and the Bay Area Puma Project to educate the public about the issue and help protect species in the wild.

The Oakland Zoo helped establish BACAT (Bay Area Cougar Action Team), an alliance with the Bay Area Puma Project and the Mountain Lion Foundation, in 2013 to help CADFW rescue mountain lions that are in conflict between humans and Animal are trapped.

Contact:

Erin Harrison

Oakland Zoo

eharrison@oaklandzoo.org

Office: 510-632-9525 ext 120

Cell: 415-601-1619

Isabella Linares placeholder image

Oakland Zoo

ilinares@oaklandzoo.org

Office: 510-632-9525 ext 239

Cell: 650-776-9589

###

ABOVE OAKLAND ZOO AND THE CONSERVATION SOCIETY OF CALIFORNIA::

The Oakland Zoo, home to more than 850 native and exotic animals, is managed by the Conservation Society of California (CSC); A nonprofit that leads an informed and inspired community to take action on wildlife locally and globally. With over 25 nature conservation partners and projects worldwide, the CSC is committed to nature conservation-based education and the rescue of species and their habitats in the wild. Oakland Zoo is dedicated to the humane treatment of animals and is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), the national organization that sets the highest standards for animal welfare in zoos and aquariums.

Media contact

Isabella Linares placeholder image, Oakland Zoo, 5106329525, ilinares@oaklandzoo.org

Twitter Facebook

SOURCE Oakland Zoo

The post Mountain Lion Roaming San Francisco Bernal Heights Neighborhood Introduced To Oakland Zoo | Information appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.