Moms Attacked In San Fran Neighborhood
Children wielding baseball bats are reportedly attacking and robbing helpless mothers and nannies in San Francisco’s prestigious Noe Valley neighborhood, which is known affectionately as “Stroller Alley” for its large population of young families.
The San Francisco Police Department is investigating after 11 phone robberies were reported in the neighborhood over the course of last week. Two women were reportedly attacked in separate occurrences by an assailant wielding a bat while picking up their kids from school.
One of the victims was hit with a bat while the other was punched in the face. Police arrested one minor last week in connection with the series of robberies but the investigation is ongoing.
Rafael Mandelman, a member of San Francisco’s Board of Supervisors, cites the disruption of the COVID-19 pandemic as a potential cause of the recent crime surge among children.
“I think, what happened with kids not being in school, I think there may be something going on with that, that we’re going to be experiencing for a while," he said.
“Those couple of years [when] school was erratic or nonexistent, where everyone was under stress, parents and caregivers were under stress. That was probably impacting vulnerable communities more anyway. Sociologically. Who knows what was going on, but I would not be surprised if we are going to be experiencing the lingering impacts of that for a generation."
It is unclear what motivated the thieves, who appear to be teens or preteens. However, the robberies have left residents of the neighborhood feeling unsafe and uneasy. One mother of two, Rosemary Paixao, told Fox News that she is now “afraid to leave my house."
The SFPD is urging people to be extra vigilant and to call 911 if they feel unsafe or witness any suspicious activity.
While violent crimes have remained relatively stable over the last four years, property crimes have increased significantly since 2019. Charles "Cully" Stimson, a Heritage Foundation Senior Legal Fellow and former San Francisco prosecutor, said that the situation is worse than the data suggests.
“People do not report these crimes because when you have a DA who's pro-criminal and not going to enforce the law, the cops aren't going to go out and arrest somebody when they know the case is going to be no papered,” said Stimson.
The police department and the Board of Supervisors are emphasizing the importance of community involvement and reporting any criminal activity in order to keep the city safe. However, the recent thefts and assaults have left people in Noe Valley feeling scared and uncertain. Until the suspects are caught and the violence ceases, the neighborhood will remain on edge.