SAN FRANCISCO—Officers from the San Francisco Police Department are investigating an incident that took place on Thursday, October 17, involving a machete. The incident was reported at 11 p.m. on Mission Street near Highland Avenue. The victim was struck by the machete in the arm as he walked on the street.
The victim was taken to the hospital with a non-life-threatening injury. The suspect fled the scene 15 minutes after the attack transpired.
Police have named a 40-year-old man as the suspect in the attack, and noted that the case is currently under investigation. No other additional information about the incident, the victim or the suspect has been released to the public.
The attack in Bernal Heights is the second one in a week involving a machete. The first incident occurred on Tuesday, October 15 at 7 p.m. during a carjacking in Mill Valley, which ended in the arrest of Gustavo Angel Neri, 18.
Machetes have long been used as a weapon in the Bay Area, and the rise of these attacks has left authorities on alert. Statistics currently show an increase in violent crime in the city according to a projection on the www.sfgov.org website.
FY2019-20
Violent Crime Projection: 6,173 total UCR Violent Crimes
Property Crime Projection: 48,118 total UCR Property Crimes
FY2018-19
Violent Crime: 5,854 total UCR Violent Crimes
Property Crime: 47,990 total UCR Property Crimes
