SAN FRANCISCO — A young man was arrested Saturday, June 11 after allegedly breaking into one home and then leading police on a lengthy foot chase through—and onto the roofs of—several more homes, police said.
A resident reported hearing footsteps on his rooftop at 3 a.m., police said. When the man stepped outside, he saw the suspect attempting to climb down the balcony.
Police responded to the resident’s call. Upon arrival, officers searched the witness’s roof. Another witness then spotted the suspect on his rooftop and alerted police. Officers then chased the suspect, who snuck through the second floor window of another residence on the 500 Block of Potrero Ave. After an exhaustive search by police, yet another witness alerted officers that someone was hiding in their garage. That’s where officers found 19-year-old Lance Figueroa and took him into custody.
Figueroa has been charged with resisting arrest, vandalism, and three counts of burglary. Figueroa’s residence is unknown, police said, and the young man has no apparent online footprint. According to available records, however, Figueroa has had a busy few months. The 19-year-old was arrested in April for maintenance of a drug paraphernalia business, possessing burglar’s tools, grand theft, possession of a controlled substance, and contempt of court – disobeying a court order. In May, he was arrested for maintenance of a drug paraphernalia business, possession of burglar’s tools, grand theft, and vandalism over $1,000.
Police did not say whether or not the burglaries were drug related. Nor did they say what the suspect was attempting to take from the homes, citing an ongoing and sensitive investigation.
This was the first of four hot prowl burglaries that day, according to police, and the only one after which an arrest was made.
