SAN FRANCISCO—Officers from the San Francisco Police Department have arrested two suspects involved in an armed robbery and sexual assault in the Taraval District. Joseph Hill, 22, of Vallejo and Phillip Hill Jr., 22, of Fairfield were taken into custody after a police pursuit.
On February 28, at approximately 7:45 p.m. officers from the Taraval Police Station responded to a robbery call they received on the 1600 block of 34th Avenue. Upon arriving within minutes of getting the call, authorities obtained descriptions of the suspects from the victim, who was a 21-year-old woman. Both suspects were male suspects, who were wearing hoodies, one with a mask covering part of his face took her purse and other personal items. The victim noted to authorities that at least one of the suspects was armed with a handgun.
According to a press release from the SFPD website, the information was relayed to other officers via radio and officers from various police districts began a search for the suspects. Members from the Taraval Station in plainclothes team witnessed the suspects silver Ford sedan will in the region of Noriega and 31st Avenue and followed the vehicle.
The suspects were seen tossing items from the vehicle while they were being pursued by police. They started to increase their speed and running stop signs to elude police. A marked San Francisco Police unit initiated a pursuit of the suspect’s vehicle in the region of Moraga and 20th Avenue where they turned onto Shriners Avenue. The suspects stopped their vehicle and fled on foot near the 1700 block of Shriners.
Joseph Hill was immediately apprehended, while Phillip Hill was found as he hid underneath a parked car. The arresting officer spotted a handgun on the driveway near the parked car where Phillip Hill was hiding under. A second hand gun was found by officers near shrubs, and recovered the victim’s cell phone and other items that were taken during the robbery.
While investigating the case, the victim identified victims and gave more information when the robbery occurred. She explained to police that one of the suspects physically restrained her as the other suspect pointed a gun at her head. After the robbery, one of the suspects sexually assaulted the victim before both suspects fled the scene.
Joseph Hill was booked at the San Francisco County Jail on the following charges: robbery, conspiracy, false imprisonment, possession of stolen property, resisting or delaying a peace officer, carrying a concealed firearm, carrying a loaded firearm with the intent to commit a felony, carrying a loaded firearm in public, convicted felon in possession of a firearm.
Phillip Hill, Jr. was booked at the San Francisco County Jail on the following charges: robbery, conspiracy, false imprisonment, carrying a concealed firearm, carrying a loaded firearm with the intent to commit a felony, carrying a loaded firearm in public, carrying a firearm in public while wearing a mask, attempted sexual penetration, sexual battery, recklessly evading a peace officer, and being an unlicensed driver.
Both suspects are linked to armed robberies that occurred in the Easy Bay region. Joseph Hill was identified for his involvement in a second armed robbery with a sawed off rifle in San Francisco’s Ingleside District. The victim in the Ingleside robbery identified the sawed off rifle that authorities recovered during their investigation.
A .32 Caliber semi-automatic pistol and a 9mm semi-automatic pistol were recovered during the arrest as well. The .32 Caliber pistol had bullets in the magazine, and the 9mm pistol had a round in the chamber and the hammer was cocked back.
