Two charged with attempted robbery in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park
San Francisco is a popular city for tourists. Unfortunately, not all people in the Bay Area make good hosts. Take the recent case of an Egyptian tourist robbed at gunpoint in broad daylight by three suspects in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park.
Golden Gate Park Conservatory of Flowers (Wikipedia Commons – WolfSF)
According to a San Francisco Police Department Park Division press release, the incident happened on October 2nd at around 2:10 p.m, near the park’s popular Conservatory of Flowers–not the setting you would expect for a brazen crime. The tourist was approached by three male suspects. One of the suspects brandished a handgun, according to police, as another suspect demanded the tourist’s belongings. Fortunately, the victim, who police say feared for his life, was able to get a witness to call 911, and the suspects fled the scene empty handed.
Police officers from San Francisco’s Park Division arrived on the scene and got a description of the suspects from the victim and the witness. The helpful witness had kept on eye on the suspects, who had not gone far, and was able to lead the officers to them. The three suspects were detained and positively identified by the victim and the witness. Police also recovered the handgun used in the crime.
Two of the suspects were taken into custody. The third was released.
Ishmael Watkins, 20, an Oakland resident, was charged with attempted robbery, brandishing a firearm, conspiracy, probation violation and using a false name. He is being held at the San Francisco County Jail. He had been arrested in August in San Francisco as well, for petty theft from a merchant and vandalism at Bloomingdale’s on Market Street.
An unnamed 16-year-old suspect from Daly City was charged with attempted robbery, conspiracy and brandishing a firearm. He is being held at San Francisco’s Juvenile Justice Center.
