SAN FRANCISCO—On Tuesday, May 19, the San Francisco Police Department arrested 3 suspects connected to a series of pickpocket crimes targeting Chinatown victims.
A search warrant at the suspects’ residence led officers to recovering over $14,000 in US currency and stolen property. In one case, a victim lost approximately $4,000 in property.
In April 2026, the SFPD launched a coordinated investigation using plain clothes officers and surveillance support from the Real Time Investigation Center. Investigators were able to identify a suspect vehicle with three individuals believed to be tied to the thefts.
On May 16, investigators tracked the suspect vehicle entering San Francisco using automated license plate readers and a drone unit. The suspects parked near Chinatown and started casing potential victims in the district. Officers spotted the group working together to discreetly steal property from the victims.
After confirming 3 separate pickpocket thefts, officers coordinated an arrest operation and took all three suspects into custody. The suspects were booked in county jail on multiple felony charges including grand theft, conspiracy and possession of stolen property. No details on the names or ages of the suspects have been disclosed to the public.
