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Neighbors in Noe Valley say a suspect has been snagging packages off front porches for months.
They say they had called police, confronted him on porches and snapped pictures of the man they call the "Bicycle Bandit."
But police had not been able to make an arrest.
Not until one fed-up victim decided to take a different kind of action. The woman, who doesn't want to be identified, set up a camera and kept bear spray at the ready.
On Tuesday, her camera captured the suspect opening her gate and taking a package. The video also shows the woman chasing the suspect. She tweeted out to followers that she nabbed him with bear spray. He ran away, but was in a lot of pain. She was able to catch up with him and make a citizen's arrest until police came.
The man now charged with the thefts: 51-year-old Andy Anduha, who now faces up to six years in prison if convicted of all counts.
Neighbors say it was a brave move, but police are not encouraging people to confront criminal suspects, even if they are armed with toxic spray.
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Take that you SOB
A Bear spray face hit almost guarantees temporary blindness and big-time breathing problems...he aint doint this for a long time....
The last line from the reporter in the video is a classic. "The police do not encourage citizens to confront criminal suspects". Maybe because it is Illegal to do so in this f-ed up state. Here the criminals have more rights than their victims.
If the theft rate is ever slowed down it will be because of citizens such as this woman; the police will not do anything, other than "turn in a report", at least not in Chattanooga. I have suffered 15-20 break-ins and thefts (three different locations) during the last 7 years alone. I spent one night in a storage building that I own with a shotgun across my lap, hoping the thieves would return that night. They didn't.
Should have used a bear trap! ò¿ó
She should have used a gun. He'll be out in time.
Good for her!!!!
but police are not encouraging people to confront criminal suspects
Ok then....since its been established that the police are NOT there to protect you or your property (only to enforce the law after the fact), then I respectfully submit to Law Enforcement the following question: "Are we to idly sit back and put complete faith and confidence in the system?" The same one that was UNABLE to do anything about this perpetrators repeated indiscretions? Again, I say, GOOD FOR HER!!
Bear Spray, What's wrong with SMITH and WESSON.
hope they search his residence and get the other packages to the rightful owners...what a grinch old Andy is...
"Bear spray"? Seriously NBC. Do I HAVE to go to Google to find out what that is?
Yes, you do have to go to Google. Stop complaining that you're not spoon fed knowledge. Go learn something.
Now that is proper use of a nonlethal weapon! 1 good example of how effective nonlethal force is highly effective.
Instead of taking the chance on firing a gun in a urban setting she used chemicals. Excellent work.. Wish there where more people like this.
QE137, deweydan (1.7) and Dale P (#4 below), this situation would not be covered under any of the current "Stand Your Ground" statutes. The man was not attacking or attempting to attack the woman. He was trying to get away and was not a threat to her safety. She used one of the non-lethal options that was available to her.
For her in this situation, the use of a firearm was not an option.
BTW, way to go, lady!
DWC,
But the cops would of had their guns drawn if they had bothered to try and catch this guy on their own. They would justify it by saying that they don't know if the perp is armed or not and if he disobeys their orders he would be shot johnny on the spot just for trying to scratch his nose. The same rules of engagement should apply to the citizens who are protecting their property. Urban or not.
Since this happened in the Bay area I R-E-A-L-L-Y expected to read that when the police arrived they released the thief because she violated his civil rights, and then arrested her for smoking a cigarette outside while she was waiting for them to finish their donuts.
And then of coarse the thief sues in court and wins because she interfered with his ability to make a living stealing peoples packages.
When seconds count, the police are only minutes away.
How did the policy of just leaving your purchases on the doorstep come to be in the first place?
Some guy slightly younger than me - trying to run from people - too funny. I may resort to a slow shuffle about twice a year - that doesn't leave much out there that can't catch me.
I grew up in Noe Valley (Upper Noe). The place is a hotbed of bears and bear wranglers - especially around the upscale boutiques.
What gets me is how the police (and I'm a big police supporter and defender), after numerous people identified this guy, took photos of him stealing, followed him, told the police where he was, et. al., said they didn't have "enough evidence" to make an arrest. Finally, when a citizen has no choice but to take matters into her own hands, they say she (or anyone) shouldn't do that - it's their job.
Combination of: 1] all people in a household being out during the day; 2] UPS and FedEx expecting their drivers to make a delivery quota, so they've self-excused those drivers from waiting for signatures on packages that don't require signatures (that is, most everyday types of service). As for the Post Office, they've left parcels that didn't require a signature, even when there is no answer to their knock, for the longest time.
Too bad he didn't steal a package that came from Ted Kazinski AKA The Uninbomber. He would have been easy for the police to catch then. Just look for somone with no arms or face and that would be a prime suspect.
@JP - Unless UPS or Fedex has a key to your front door, your packages will be left on your porch.
should have sprayed him with hot flying lead !!!!!
She should have stomped real hard on his jewels just for good measure and instant punishment. Bet he'd be walking bow legged forever and no more bike riding................
This incident took place in California, so I am surprised that all the liberals and A.C.L.U. are not on T.V. saying this poor thiefs civil rights have been violated.
You go girl! Sometimes enough is enough and you just decide you aren't going to put up with it anymore. I'm proud of you.
What's worst is the scum is a wuss........
Good For Her !
Police are saying they're not encouraging people to confront criminal suspects, but yet they haven't done a thing to catch this guy for months. I bet it would be a lot different if it were some of their families packages continually being stolen right off their front porches !!!!
Deacon,
If that was the case then the cops could find a reason to shoot the guy 52 times but if I was confronted by an armed robber and shot him first I would go to prison just because I had a loaded weapon outside my residence.
dave, that is because you live in ca, and even worse, south OC. Get out now while you can!!! I did, and you will realize it is the best decision you ever made!
Bobby, I lived in south OC for 35 years; it was once a paradise, now overrun with traffic and Easterners.
Normw,
And it is over run with illegal aliens. I would love to move out but I have built a business and raised a family here. I wouldn't want to end up somewhere where it is freezing and snowbound for 4-5 months of the year or where it is 100 degrees plus for the majority of the summer. You have to admit, South OC on the coast is paradise when it comes to year round weather.
Punisher - bear spray is called that because it repels bears. It's like Mace, but 5-10x as potent and a 20-30 foot spray range. Seems like any human hit in the face with that who would run from the sprayer can be excused from the "wuss" tag, even if he's a sneak thief who has stymied the local PD for months.
Police say not to take action. Right I wonder why?
well it's a donut shop thing...you wouldn't understand...
Makes them look bad.
He ought to be thankful he doesn't live in Florida :)
Exactly. A "responsible gun owner" would have shot himd dead.
I hate a thief. I can talk about it if youassault or even kill someone because some people need to be killed. But to steal is to put others out for your own inadequacies.
When seconds count, LE is only minutes away.................................
Don't you remember? LE got laid off months ago. Now works night shift at Walmart.
Why is that the police are never around when you need them but always around when you need them the least?
It is settled case law from several lawsuits like Warren v The District of Columbia that the police have no duty to protect you. You have to protect yourself and then call the police to investigate.
Warren only applies to Washington DC.
Maybe...but it is true that the police very, very rarely protect anyone. They are almost never present when a crime is being committed.
The police are there to clean up the mess and to help create cash flows from taxpayers into the so-called justice system. Arrest, incarceration, trial, incarceration, escape, manhunt, catch, reincarceration, etc., etc., the taxpayers pay for. It's all creating work for them. That's why they don't want us interfering with their little game. If you wait for the police to protect you, you'll be dead. Doughnuts are more important than citizens.
Police carry guns to protect them-self, not you. Good for her, too bad we don't have many more folks like her taking care of the problem first hand.
Done properly, we could just drop the police out of the picture and simply call the coroner or garbage service for cleanup.
Wrong. Police carry deadly weapons to protect everyone. Deadly force is authorized to protect themselves or others from "great bodily injury or death."
Same here in WA state. Deadly force is allowed to protect yourself, your family or anyone else. WA doesn't even have, nor need, a "stand your ground law. Dozens of court cases since about 1906 have established that.
Good for her and lucky as well, would do the same if needed
too bad she didn't have a .44 magnum.
Are you kidding-in liberal San Francisco? They would crucify her!
I'm glad she didn't. What a horrible memory it would have been for her to live with, that she killed someone over a what might have been a packaged fruit cake or some other piece of crap.
Who knows if he was stealing because he was hungry, or if he was fueling a drug habit, or a teenager taking a double, no, a triple dog dare?
Unfortunately, handguns are illegal in SF. Soon bear spray will be, too.
Yep, waiting to hear about the civil suite against her by the thief....
shotguns work miracles...
Get serious, Elk, the guy is a career criminal. The point is ... it wasn't his to steal. Get it? It could have been a dead roach or used toilet paper, but it wasn't his. Your "points" are meaningless. He could have been stealing your neo-liberal garbage, but, again, it wasn't his.
Luckily I don't have that kind of crime in my area. I applaud her initiative in this, because the police didn't seem interested in investigating until afterward.
The thief is lucky she used bear spray and not a bear trap.
Won't be surprised to see a warrant for HER arrest for "Assault" to be issued at the request of HIS attorney.
When he ran and she chased him, she became the aggressor.
Not saying I don't agree with what she did, just saying some bleeding heart ACLU lawyer will try to make sure the bad guy will be calling her address "home" after the dust settles.
I agree. While I'm in no way defending the thief, she planned this out and chose to use bear spray as opposed to some spray made to use against humans. Not that the stuff made for humans can't be damaging, but the stuff made for use against bears is much stronger.
@Ed-2240122, ACLU will never interfere in this matter. You misunderstand them and their purpose, quite significantly. If I catch someone steal my property, it is within my right to chase and confront them as the crime is in progress.
@HN-1558401, how exactly is it stronger? Is the percentage of capsaicin higher, or is the volume per second higher? I suspect only the second of two is higher. A bear spray affords us a larger distance. I don't think there is any other substantial difference. It can be argued that a regular spray used for a few more seconds may have an identical effect.
Ed,
what you say is the truth in that we have allowed criminals too much protection under our legal system. Even when the criminals are caught and there is a one hundred percent certainity of guilt , we still pretend to give them benefit of doudt like the case of the colorado shooter. The sentenceing should be a slam dunk in these cases.
We seriously need to re-evaluate our legal system to place more emphasis on fast, severe punishment in these cases. The ACLU has done more to harm our nation than any other entity I can think of.
You, sir, are incorrect. You have every legal right to confront a criminal stealing your property. And to use non-lethal force in apprehending them. I'm good friends with a lawyer for the ACLU and I can say with 100% certainty that he wouldn't even piss on this guy to wash the bear spray out of his eyes.
I was thinking she would have a warrant for using bear spray for other than it's intended purpose.
Folks, we're talking about SF, CA. The idea of criminality is viewed with a much different lens than most of the U.S.
Case in point, despite multiple eyewitnesses and photographic evidence, this thief was permitted by the police department to remain at-large.
Another example, if a thief is robbing your house and presents no other threat (other than taking your valuables), you cannot harm them in any way. If you do, you better be ready to prove that your life was somehow threatened. This is the point that I think Ed is trying to make. You can say "Stop what you're doing," or try any other non-combative way to prevent the theft--i.e. call the police. But that's dangerous if you're facing a potential murderer, as well. They will have the initiative and you will loose.
This is the basis of 'stand your ground' laws, which permit a victim of a crime to use force (even deadly force) in certain circumstances.
Victims of crimes have very few rights, esp. in places like San Francisco. This is one major contributor to California's overcrowded jails. Criminals know they can get away with it most of the time. Eventually, they get caught, but there's no real deterrence.
If a criminal has to consider that he might actually get shot while stealing, there will be a lot fewer these guys trying this crap. The rest are hard-core and will commit the crime, anyway. But these guys will be taken off the streets quicker because of their violent natures.
I can almost guarantee that this woman's file is on a prosecutor's desk for consideration. The thief will also certainly attempt to file charges and resort to the ancient American art of "I sue!"
Bear spray has a higher concentration of Capsaicin. "Normal" civilian CS spray might be around 2%, while bear spray is probably closer to 5%.
"Stand Your Ground" laws should have no place in this equation as she didn't "Stand Her Ground" but saw him on video, then opened the door to confront him (Premeditiation), then ran after him after he "disengaged" changing the victim / agressor roles. If she sprayed him from her porch, and waited for law enforcement to provide them with a description, direction of travel, and the video evidence, she'd might be able to claim "standing her ground".
@ Ab-1981,
You can confront the criminal legally, but if he runs away, the perceived threat is gone, and then when you chase him, YOU have become the agressor....... the police however can chase him.
@Ed,
I agree with your viewpoint, except that some versions of 'stand your ground' laws, rightly permit you to protect your property as if it were an extension of your personal body. This includes apprehending alleged thieves using force. It's gets a little grey after that, which is where the lawyers get to fight it out. Many home owners in Florida has used this successfully--"I was afraid he would come back."
In the case of this woman, she would have pretty good case since this thief is known to have done this multiple times. Alas, there is no 'stand your ground' law to protect her. She is at the mercy of the mood of the prosecutor and the skill of the thief's lawyer.
Waiting till I see the ACLU join with the NRA to support the 2nd Amendment before I have ANYTHING to do with the ACLU.
The ACLU supports the Constitution, till it comes to 2nd Amendment.
Stand Your Ground means you don't HAVE to retreat until you're cornered to protect yourself......You can engage the bad guy if he poses a threat to your life.
Chasing a bad guy never equals "Standing your ground".
I think you're confusing "Stand Your Ground" with "Castle Doctrine".
The Castle Doctrine (also known as castle law or make my day law) gives citizens in their homes – and in some states – cars or workplaces the right to protect themselves, other people, and their property by force – in some instances even deadly force
@Deen The Constitution says that members of official state militias have the right to posses firearms. As far as I know, the ACLU doesn't disagree with that.
And your little dog, too!
The article mentions that people had pictures and had confronted the thief on their porches. And the police still could not make an arrest? Let me guess, Some one might have a gram of pot on them, so we can't waste time on a thief. The thief is lucky that all that was used was pepper spray.
Yup, the police are after the easy prey - mostly teenagers. I wonder if most cops can get a job outside of police work...
Yeah, and good looking high school girls and frail old black people. At least, that's who they stop where I live.
Quick give the perp the number of a good attorney, he should be able to sue her for damages, take her house, eat her food and drive her car. As a matter of fact she should have to give him everything she own's. She should have to work the rest of her to pay his bills. Ok, now for reality. Next time tell that SOB to come to my house, bear spray will be the least of his worries.
Personally, I would have gone Ted Kaczynski on his ass.
hahaha
haha! would be even better if a montreal killer style madman caught the package thief ,then chopped him up and mail out all the bodyparts,then ironically another package thief steals the package containing the package thief's bodyparts :P ot it just ends up in the"dead letter" bin
You know that the thief is going to try to sue his "assailant" for assault or for "violating his civil rights".
Unfortunately, he will probably win given it's California.
As an alternative to a gun, maybe everyone should carry a quart can of bear spray. If you never use it, you can spray it in your Mexican food to spice it up, since it is totally edible and biodegradable.
I decided to google it.
California Pepper spray law.:
California: Pepper Spray canisters must be less than 2.5 ounces. They must be used for self defense purposes only. Anyone using pepper spray out of anger or for other non-self defense purposes may receive fines of $1000 and/or up to three years in prison.
SADLY: She may be in more trouble than he is. A truly Ridiculous law
Liberal California for you. They can fuk up anything,. No wonder they're going broke.
You idiots who are bad mouthing the police don't know anything. The police don't make the laws, our elected representatives do. What do you think the "Affordable Care Act" is. Do you want to blame that huge fiasco on the police when the results of such a stupid law begin to affect your livelihood? It all boils down to one thing. We elect the idiots, so we are to blame.
OK, I'll take the troll bait...
R. Ponzi, what the eff are you talking about? How does the "Affordable Care Act" relate to the police department's failure to their job, which is to enforce the law? I.E., they should have arrested the thief a long time ago.
problem is our country is FULL of idiots! just look at the election results! PROOF!
I love her solution. Bear spray!!! Punish him!! Now put him away.
a shotgun is way more effective, and you dont have to run as fast.
I hope this woman get a lawsuit against her, this poor guy was only taking what rich people have too bad you could not see this and feel his pain. ....so sad
Oh, we feel it, we really, really do. And, we care deeply also.
Yeah....ummm, what if I said that the reparations check is in the mail ?
Would that make it better ?
FYI, if you can't afford a big can of bear repellent, wasp and hornet killer works wonders also. And, it's REALLY nasty.
I'm actually surprised she didn't get arrested for assault. She chased him down, it wasn't self defense. Don't get me wrong, he deserved what he got and more--but still. If he sues her, I bet he'd win.
Sue for her for what, his being stupid and got caught? The courts would bear spray him too for bringing a frivolous lawsuit.
He probably sue because his profession is a thief..That is how he makes his living like your Government..