Pickpocket Crew Busted in SF Chinatown

San Francisco police said on May 19 that officers arrested three men accused of working as a pickpocket crew in Chinatown after theft reports began rising in early April. The San Francisco Police Department said merchants and community members had reported multiple thefts across the neighborhood, including one case in which a victim lost about $4,000 in property. Police said citywide plainclothes officers and the department's Real Time Investigation Center identified a suspect vehicle and three men believed tied to the thefts. (sfdistrictattorney.org) District Attorney Brooke Jenkins said on May 20 that all three men had been charged. ### Who did police arrest in the Chinatown case? SFPD identified the suspects as Stefan Ruset, 35, Marian Constantine, 30, and Florin Matei, 26, all of Vallejo. Police said the three were booked into San Francisco County Jail on suspicion of grand theft, felony conspiracy and possession of stolen property. Jenkins said prosecutors filed charges including one felony count of grand theft from a person, three misdemeanor counts of grand theft from a person, and one count of possession of stolen property. May 20 was the date prosecutors announced the charges. The district attorney's office said the case remained an active investigation even after charges were filed. (sanfranciscopolice.org) ### How did investigators say the theft crew operated? May 16 was the day investigators said they tracked the suspects' vehicle entering San Francisco by using automated license plate readers and a drone unit. Police said the men parked near Chinatown and began casing patrons throughout the neighborhood. Plainclothes officers then watched the group work together to steal from victims while acting as lookouts for one another, according to the police statement. (sanfranciscopolice.org) KRON4, citing police, reported that drone footage showed one man reaching into victims' pockets, purses and backpacks while two others stretched jackets outward to block the view. (sfdistrictattorney.org) ABC7 reported that police said the thefts could happen so quickly that victims often did not realize property was missing until later. ### Why did the investigation focus on Chinatown in April? Early April was when SFPD said it began receiving reports from Chinatown merchants and community members about multiple pickpocket and theft incidents. Police said Central Station officers assigned to the Chinatown foot beat helped identify the three men believed responsible for reported and unreported thefts. (sanfranciscopolice.org) Chief Derrick Lew said, "Criminals targeting Chinatown, or any other community in San Francisco, is simply unacceptable." Captain Christopher Del Gandio said the case reflected cooperation between officers, merchants and residents. (kron4.com) ABC7 quoted Del Gandio as saying matching suspect descriptions, photos and community input helped police connect the suspects to several crimes in Chinatown. ### What did officers recover after the arrests? May 17 was the date officers executed a search warrant at the suspects' residence in Vallejo, according to police and prosecutors. Authorities said they recovered more stolen property and more than $14,000 in U.S. currency. Prosecutors also said officers found stolen property linked to a 2024 pickpocket victim and clothing consistent with items worn during earlier thefts. (sanfranciscopolice.org) Police said officers recovered stolen property during the operation on May 16 and returned it to victims. Del Gandio told ABC7 that in this case police were able to recover much of the stolen property, while warning that victims usually do not get their belongings back. (sanfranciscopolice.org) ### What happens next in court and in the investigation? The San Francisco District Attorney's Office said all three men were scheduled to be arraigned on May 20 at 1:30 p.m. at the Hall of Justice. The office listed court numbers for Ruset, Constantine and Matei and asked anyone with information to contact the SFPD tip line. (sanfranciscopolice.org) Prosecutors said the investigation was still active. (sfdistrictattorney.org)