Numerous tourist groups visiting a San Francisco beach had all of their belongings stolen from their cars, including their passports, while they were only minutes at sea.
On their second day in San Francisco, a group of tourists from Malta considered breaking their journey and returning to Europe after the brutal blow that occurred in broad daylight within just 10 minutes.
On the same beach, another European family, enjoying a day at the ocean, fell prey to a car break-in.
Shocking footage captured by Matty Lopez on Instagram and shared by journalist Arisley T. Pacheco, who documents robbery victims, revealed that the trunk of their car had been smashed, with broken glass scattered on the ground.
The man recording the video asks the tourists, “What happened?” You went five minutes to the beach?’ Their response is discouraging: “They took everything we had: passports, cameras, phones, iPads, laptops, luggage, everything.”
Numerous groups of tourists visiting a beach in San Francisco had all of their belongings stolen from their cars, including their passports, while at sea for just minutes
On their second day in San Francisco, a group of tourists from Malta considered breaking their journey and returning to Europe after the brutal blow that occurred in broad daylight within just 10 minutes.
The video was shared on Tuesday, but the exact timing of these break-ins remains unclear. The incident took place at the northernmost tip of Ocean Beach in San Francisco.
While some viewers expressed their sympathy, others attributed the incidents to rising crime rates in San Francisco, and questioned why people would choose to visit the city.
One user commented, “Why don’t people learn not to visit California?” Another added: “You can’t leave anything in your car anymore.”
Others brought politics into the discussion, accusing voters of electing politicians they believe do not take a strong stance against crime.
Shocking footage showed the trunk of the car smashed, with broken glass scattered on the ground
The incident took place at the northernmost tip of Ocean Beach in San Francisco
In August alone, San Francisco reported nearly 1,670 car burglaries, adding to the nearly 10,000 vehicle thefts recorded in the city this year.
Criminals often engage in “bipping and boosting,” smashing car windows and speeding away, often targeting multiple parked vehicles in a single day.
Last month in San Francisco, thieves were caught on camera driving through the streets in a Lexus, stopping at parked cars to smash windows and steal valuables.
One SUV even had a person sitting in the back when the windows were smashed, but the thief still grabbed the victim’s bag before fleeing in the waiting Lexus.
Signs can be seen all over the city warning residents and tourists not to leave anything in their cars, but the crime rate has remained stubbornly high.
Tourist areas such as North Beach, Japantown and Presidio have the highest rates of car burglaries per 10,000 residents.
Last year, McCray, president of the San Francisco Police Officers Federation, became a victim of the crime himself.
Her car was parked on March 23, 2022, on the 1200 block of Franklin Street, between Tenderloin and Japantown, while she was visiting a relative at CPMC Van Ness Campus Hospital.
McCray said she was parked for less than 30 minutes, but her car was still being broken into.
Last month in San Francisco, thieves were caught on camera cruising the streets in a Lexus, stopping at parked cars to smash windows and steal valuables
In August alone, San Francisco reported nearly 1,670 car burglaries, adding to the nearly 10,000 vehicle thefts recorded in the city this year
She wrote a blog post titled, “Hell, they got me too!”
Supervisor Dean Preston, whose district has several hot spots for car burglaries in neighborhoods like Alamo Square and Japantown, last month called for a hearing with the mayor’s office, police, municipal transportation bureau and other city departments to explain to the board of supervisors what is being done about the problem.
“Despite many announcements, the city has made no noticeable progress in addressing this persistent problem,” he said.
“It’s time to let the public know what has worked and what hasn’t, and what can be done collectively to finally reduce car break-ins.
“Meanwhile, residents continue to deal with broken car windows, stolen possessions, and broken glass on streets and sidewalks, while visitors are left with trauma, financial loss, and less-than-ideal memories of their visits.”