Recent Kidnappings Target Latinos in San Francisco

A police source told Mission Loc@l that it is possible that day laborers, known as ATMs because they carry cash, are being targeted. It is unclear if the victims in these cases were day laborers but all three individuals were Latino according to police reports.

Police say if day laborers are being targeted it will not be easy to determine. The largely undocumented population of workers is often hesitant to report crimes for fear of being deported.

Blood trails line Vermont Street
Photo by Amanda Martinez

In a third case this month, a Latina reported an attempted street abduction, according to police.

Police Information Officer Lynn Tomioka said that police yet to determine any patterns that link the attempted and other kidnappings. Because of the ongoing investigation, descriptions of the vehicles in these cases have not been made public. So far no arrests have been made.

In the most recent kidnapping case it was a staff member at San Francisco General Hospital, not the victim, who called police. The victim, a 27 year-old Hispanic male, was dragged into a white van around 1 a.m. near 20th and Bryant streets according to police sources.

Read More