5 Arrested In Series Of SF Chain-Snatching Robberies: Police

SAN FRANCISCO, CA — Five people have been taken into custody in connection with a series of chain-snatching robberies plaguing the San Francisco area over the last month, police said.

Police say they began investigating the series of robberies involving a black Honda Pilot in San Francisco's Ingleside District towards the end of April.

On Friday, May 22, officers with the Real Time Investigations Center pinned a black Honda Pilot matching the description of the previous robberies going through the area of Geneva Avenue and Lisbon Street, according to the San Francisco Police Department.

Plainclothes officers and a drone team quickly reached the area and saw that people in the vehicle appeared to be closely observing pedestrians in the area while slowly rolling past bus stops, police said

At some point, in the area of Mission and 24th streets, a man got out of the car and boarded a MUNI bus, police said.

The bus took off, and the black Honda Pilot driver followed. Two women then got out of the car and boarded the bus at another stop, police said.

When the bus stopped in the area of Mission and Tingley streets, officers saw the man run off on foot, while the two women ran back in the car, police said.

Officers confirmed the suspects snatched a gold chain off someone on the bus before taking off, police said.

Video released by the SFPD shows officers chasing down the suspects and eventually catching up to them.

The suspects were identified by police as San Francisco residents, Emerson Melendez, 29; Norlan Rivera, 21; Yanira Mejia Ramirez, 19; Bojoequez Martinez, 18; and Krissia Martinez-Alvarez, 21, of El Sobrante.

They were each arrested on suspicion of second-degree robbery, receiving stolen property and conspiracy, police said.

A gold chain was recovered in the process and returned to the person it was stolen from, police said.