SAN FRANCISCO—On Friday, May 22, 2026, a trial by jury found 41-year-old Sam Francisco local Kevin Chavez guilty of damaging a communication device (Penal Code 591.5) when he took his female victim’s cellular after she tried calling 9-1-1 to report an emergency. He was also found guilty of vandalism, which caused more than $400 in damage (Penal Code 594(b)(1)) and theft (Penal Code 484(a)).
On December 29, 2025, Chavez and the female victim got into a physical and verbal disagreement. During the argument, he took her cellular phones, keeping one and throwing the other one while she was making a 9-1-1 call over a fence. He continued to damage the female victim’s home and broke one of her windows and the garage door to get inside.
Assistant District Attorney Mary Polk prosecuted this case with support from District Attorney Investigator Dana Lee, paralegals Lee-Ann Collins, Lena Ku and Aareona Miles and IT support from Noaeh Pinaire. The victim advocate, who was Tatiana Guardado, worked closely with the victim while the case was pending. SFPD’s Mission Station and the Northern Station police officers worked together to make the evidence of this case as clear and thorough as possible.
