SFPD Arrest Serial Robbers, Seize Guns & Destructive Devices

Following a two month robbery investigation, San Francisco Police have arrested two suspects in a series of robberies committed in the City. This robbery series was dubbed the “Letterman Robbery Series” because one of the suspects wore a letter-man style jacket.

The first robbery occurred on April 22nd, at a gas station on the 2900 block of San Bruno Avenue in the Bayview Police District. The second robbery occurred on April 24th at a store on the 3200 block of Divisadero Street in the Northern Police District. Two more robberies followed on May 17th in the Bayview District and on May 19th in the Ingleside Police District. The Bayview robbery was committed at a gas station on the 100 block of Bayshore Boulevard while the Ingleside robbery was of a grocery store on the 3200 block of Folsom Street. Investigators from Bayview Police Station led the investigation and were assisted by patrol officers from both Northern and Bayview Stations.

Police developed information that led them to identify and arrest Homer Matthews, 56, male, San Francisco and Austen Chin 31, male, South San Francisco. Matthews was taken into custody at 1:00AM on May 24, 2015 at La Salle and 3rd Streets in San Francisco, after Bayview Station officers recognized him from a crime alert bulletin.

An officer from Northern Station recognized the suspect vehicle description from a crime alert bulletin and shared that information with Bayview Station Investigators. This information led them to identify Chin as a suspect.

On the morning of June 3, 2015, with the assistance of the San Mateo North County Regional SWAT Team, San Francisco Police served a search warrant on the 100 block of Nursery Way in the city of South San Francisco. This search warrant was the result of a two month long investigation of the robberies detailed above.

During the search warrant service, Investigators arrested Chin and seized thirty-eight firearms, bomb making materials and they located several suspected destructive devices. The San Francisco Police Bomb Squad responded to the location and rendered the suspected destructive devices safe.

Mathews was booked into San Francisco County Jail on felony charges of robbery and conspiracy to commit robbery.

Chin was booked into San Francisco County Jail on felony charges of robbery and kidnaping for the purpose of robbery.

The thirty-eight firearms seized consisted of: 22 Assault Weapons, 12 Handguns, 2 Bolt-Action Sniper Rifles, and 2 Shotguns.

Booking photos will not be released at this time due to pending identification matters.

Following a two month robbery investigation, San Francisco Police have arrested two suspects in a series of robberies...

Posted by San Francisco Police Department on Wednesday, June 10, 2015