Thursday, June 26, 2008

Man Shot Dead in Bernal Heights

Neighborhood car mechanic is found shot to death near S.F. home

Henry K. Lee, Chronicle Staff Writer

Thursday, June 26, 2008
(06-26) 12:28 PDT SAN FRANCISCO -- William Amrull considered himself a free-lance auto mechanic and invited anyone with broken-down cars to bring them over to his San Francisco home to fix.

Amrull's selflessness is making it all the more difficult for his family to understand why the 50-year old man was shot and killed early today around the corner from his home.

Amrull's body was found shortly before 3 a.m. on the sidewalk near Holly Park Circle and Newman Street, near Holly Park. The area is in between Bernal Heights and Interstate 280 in the southern part of the city. No arrests have been made.

As police searched for a motive in the slaying, Amrull's family gathered to mourn the loss of the father of four children, ages 15 to 30.

Relatives had few answers. They said they had no reason to believe that anyone would target Amrull, who was known to everyone by his nickname, Juju.

"That's what we don't know. All we know is that they found him in the park," said Amrull's former sister-in-law, a Colma woman who wished to be identified only as Vicky. "We're still trying to figure out who would have done this and why.

"This had to have been random violence," she said. "He's a gentle person. He leaves everybody alone and keeps to himself."

Many neighbors brought their cars over for him to fix, Vicky said. "Juju was wonderful with cars, and everybody just loved Juju," she said.

Ashley Amrull, 21, of Daly City described her uncle as a wonderful man. "He was just really caring, really caring for his family," she said.

Asked what could have led to the slaying, she said, "I don't know. There could be nothing, like it's either kids just did that for nothing or ..." Her voice trailed off.

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Suspect Arrested in Killing of Father and Sons

Gang member arrested in killing of dad, 2 sons

Jaxon Van Derbeken,Henry K. Lee, Chronicle Staff Writers

Thursday, June 26, 2008
(06-25) 21:33 PDT San Francisco -- A member of a notoriously violent street gang was arrested and booked Wednesday on three counts of murder in the shootings of a San Francisco father and two sons in the city's Excelsior district that police believe stemmed from a minor traffic incident, authorities said.

Edwin Ramos, 21, of El Sobrante was arrested at 12:05 a.m. at his home on the 4300 block of Hilltop Drive in the Sunday slayings of Tony Bologna, 48, and his sons Michael, 20, and Matthew, 16, authorities said. At 5 p.m., he was booked on the murder charges.

Police recovered a machete, an assault pistol and knives at the time of the arrest, but they have not found the weapon used in the shooting.

At an evening news conference to announce the arrest, police said Ramos is a member of a violent street gang but would not specify which organization.

"I believe he is, I think he would admit that he is a gang member," said Inspector Brian Delahunty of the homicide detail. Police sources confirmed his membership in the Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13), which law enforcement officials consider one of the most dangerous street gangs in San Francisco and the country.

The jailed man has denied to police that he killed the Bolognas, authorities say.

The suspect's attorney, Joe O'Sullivan, said his client is a construction worker who is married to a bank worker and is the father of a young child.

He had a minor criminal record as a juvenile and was arrested in San Francisco a month ago on a weapons possession charge, but the case was dismissed after the district attorney's office found there was not enough evidence to tie him to the weapon, authorities said.

O'Sullivan said his client, who goes by the last name of Escobar, is a member of MS-13, an organization whose members contend is "nothing more than a soccer group."

Law enforcement authorities, however, consider MS-13 a sophisticated street gang with roots in El Salvador whose members are known to use high-powered weapons and even machetes and have been tied to everything from street extortion in San Francisco to firearms trafficking.

O'Sullivan said his client was a friend of the former head of MS-13 in the city, Luis Fuentes, who was killed at 24th and Hampshire streets on June 26, 2004. Fuentes was described in the trial as the "shot caller" for the gang in San Francisco. His convicted killer, a NorteƱo street gang member, was represented by O'Sullivan and another lawyer...

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Tuesday, June 24, 2008

Third Road-Rage Shooting Victim Dies

Third road rage victim dies, police release composite sketch of killer

Jaxon Van Derbeken, Chronicle Staff Writer
Tuesday, June 24, 2008

(06-24) 20:12 PDT San Francisco -- The third victim of a road rage shooting in San Francisco died Tuesday night, and police released a composite sketch of the gunman and pleaded for the public's help in solving the triple slaying.

Investigators say Anthony Bologna, 48, and his son Michael, 20, were shot and killed following a minor traffic hassle in the Excelsior district, even though the elder Bologna pulled back to allow the gunman's gray Chrysler 300M room to finish a turn onto a narrow street.

After completing the turn, the driver of the car opened fire, killing the elder Bologna and his oldest son at the scene.

Bologna's youngest son, Matthew, 16, was taken off life support at San Francisco General Hospital late Tuesday and was pronounced dead at 6:24 p.m. Police said they have an image of the suspect's car that was taken from a nearby surveillance camera.

They did not release the image. Instead, they released an image of a car like the one in the image.

San Francisco police Lt. Mike Stasko said that while detectives are moving forward on several fronts, they need the public's help in the case.

"We are just asking anybody and everybody who has information to come forward," Stasko said. "If they saw anything, anything out there, contact us."

Ninozka Baughman, the victim's sister in law, said she hopes someone comes forward to allow police to make an arrest.

"They need to put this guy behind bars - he's a danger to the community. Anybody with any information, please, please contact the Police Department."

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Woman Shot While Waiting At Stop Sign

SF: WOMAN SHOT WHILE STOPPED AT STOP SIGN IN CITY'S BAYVIEW

SAN FRANCISCO (BCN)

A woman in her 30s was shot in her vehicle while stopping at a stop sign in San Francisco's Bayview neighborhood this morning, police said.

The victim, approximately 36 years old, was taken to San Francisco General Hospital by a third party, police said. She reportedly told police that she was at a stop sign in the 1500 block of Shafter Avenue at about 1:10 a.m. when shots were fired into her vehicle.

The woman was in stable condition, and no arrests have been made.

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Monday, June 23, 2008

Three Shootings Injure Two

- A person was injured this morning in a shooting at Brazil and London Streets, at 2:00 a.m., in the Excelsior District.

- A man in his 30's was injured in a shooting at 7:00 p.m. Sunday, at 24th and Geurrero streets, in the Mission, after another man emerged from a car and began shooting at him, before getting back in the vehicle and driving away.

- Four men were arrested in the Tenderloin on Sunday for a 12:45 a.m. shooting at Turk and Laguna streets, in the Wester Addition. No one was injured, but some cars were damaged.

Shooting Kills Father, Son, in the Excelsior; Third Son Critically Injured

Father, son shot to death in their car in S.F.

Henry K. Lee,Jaxon Van Derbeken, Chronicle Staff Writer
Monday, June 23, 2008


(06-23) 12:17 PDT SAN FRANCISCO -- A San Francisco man and his son were killed and a second son was critically wounded when someone opened fire on their car in the Excelsior District, police and relatives said today.

Anthony Bologna, 49, was driving home Sunday from a family gathering in Fairfield with his sons Michael, 20, and Matthew, 16, when someone in another car opened fire just after 3 p.m. at Congdon and Maynard streets, authorities and family members said.

Anthony and Michael Bologna were pronounced dead at the scene. Police initially reported today that Matthew Bologna had also been killed, but relatives said he was still alive at San Francisco General Hospital.

Family members said people in the assailants' car had glared at Anthony Bologna, a night manager at Draeger's grocery store in San Mateo, before the shooting. They said he had done nothing to provoke them.

"Anthony's a pretty mellow guy. If there was somebody flipping him the bird, it wouldn't be a big deal," said the relative, who asked not to be named.

The assailants' car continued north on Congdon Street after the shooting. Police did not describe the car because of conflicting reports.

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Man Found Dead At Ocean Beach in January Declared a Homicide

- On January 15th, two people looking for a spot to build a bonfire on the beach made a gruesome discovery: a naked man, dead and buried, with his feet sticking out of the sand. After an autopsy it's been found that the man, who was identified as 41 year-old Paul Lenz, was beaten and strangled to death. Because the body was found on the beach, the case is being investigated by the US Park Police.

Teenager Shot to Death in Visitacion Valley

- On June 10th at 12:30 p.m., 15 year-old Trayon Dixson was shot to death as he waited for a friend outside of Burton High School. According to the news: "a man described by police as being in his late teens got out of a white car, chased him down and shot him. Trayon died a short time later at San Francisco General Hospital."

Nightclub Bouncer Shot to Death

- On June 7th, 2 a.m., night club Bouncer Germane Harris was shot to death after he got off work at the Holy Cow in the South of Market. He was walking with two female friends when an assailant in a VW Jetta shot and killed him at 12th and Harrison Streets.

Thursday, June 5, 2008

At Least Two Injured In Morning Shootings

At Least 2 Injured In 3 Separate Shootings In SF
CBS 5 CrimeWatch

SAN FRANCISCO (CBS 5 / BCN) ― Two men shot in San Francisco's Tenderloin neighborhood Thursday morning suffered non-life threatening injuries and were recovering at a local hospital, police Sgt. Wilfred Williams said.

The men were shot in the area of Turk and Taylor streets around 2:15 a.m., Williams said.

Williams said a heavyset black man approached one victim, standing outside of a vehicle, and shot him. The victim was transported to San Francisco General Hospital with non-life threatening gunshot wounds to his head and right hand.

The suspect then approached a second victim sitting in the vehicle and shot him, causing gunshot wounds to the victim's right arm. The second victim also was transported to San Francisco General Hospital with non-life threatening injuries, Williams said.

The incident is under investigation.

Two other shootings were also reported in San Francisco - one at Fifth and Market streets, where at least one victim was removed from a Muni bus. The other was reported at 4th and Bryant streets.

No word on whether any of the shootings were related.

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Two Shot to Death

Two people were shot to death last Saturday:

- Milika Fields, a 31 year-old mother of six, was shot to death, and her 18 year-old brother and 2 year-old son were injured in road-rage shooting, at Duboce, Otis, and Mission Streets, near the 101 off-ramp. The shooting occurred at 7:15 p.m. in the Mission. (05/31)

- Just two hours earlier, Juan Rodriguez, 34, of Daly City, was shot to death on the 800 block of Huron Avenue, near 280, at 5:00 p.m..