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 reports of thefts began climbing in early April. The San Francisco Police Department said merchants and community members reported multiple incidents across the neighborhood, including one case in which a victim lost about $4,000 in property. Officers said the arrests followed a weeks-long investigation that relied on community tips, plainclothes surveillance, automated license plate readers and a police drone. The three suspects were booked into San Francisco County Jail on grand theft, conspiracy and possession of stolen property charges, police said. ### Who did police arrest in the Chinatown case? San Francisco police identified the suspects as Stefan Ruset, 35, Marian Constantine, 30, and Florin Matei, 26, all of Vallejo. Police said officers arrested the three on May 16 after tracking a suspect vehicle into San Francisco and watching the group move through Chinatown. All three were booked on felony grand theft and felony conspiracy charges, along with a misdemeanor possession of stolen property charge, according to the department. (sanfranciscopolice.org) ### How did investigators say the thefts were carried out? Police video released by the department showed a three-person group working together, with one person taking items from a victim’s backpack or purse while the others blocked the view and acted as lookouts, according to police and local television reports. The San Francisco Police Department said officers observed the suspects casing patrons after parking near Chinatown on May 16. (sanfranciscopolice.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 Chinatown merchants become central to the investigation? Chinatown merchants and community members began reporting repeated pickpocket and theft incidents to police in early April, the department said. Chief Derrick Lew said the arrests were the result of work by Central Station officers and cooperation with merchants in the neighborhood. “Criminals targeting Chinatown, or any other community in San Francisco, is simply unacceptable,” Lew said in a prepared statement released by the department. (sanfranciscopolice.org) Central Station Captain Christopher Del Gandio said community reporting helped investigators connect similar suspect descriptions across multiple cases. ABC7 quoted Del Gandio as saying officers linked the suspects to several crimes through photos and community input. Police have not publicly said how many total theft reports they believe are tied to the group. (sanfranciscopolice.org) ### What role did surveillance technology play in the arrests? On May 16, investigators used automated license plate readers and a drone unit to follow the suspect vehicle into San Francisco, according to the police statement. The department said citywide plainclothes officers, working with the Real Time Investigation Center, then watched the suspects move through Chinatown before making the arrests. CBS Bay Area and ABC7 both reported that the drone footage showed the group targeting multiple pedestrians while walking through the district. (sanfranciscopolice.org) ### What did officers recover after the arrests? Police said officers recovered stolen property during the arrest operation and returned some items to victims. On May 17, officers executed a search warrant at the suspects’ Vallejo residence and recovered additional stolen property, along with more than $14,000 in cash, according to the department. CBS Bay Area reported that investigators also found property linked to a 2024 pickpocket victim. (sanfranciscopolice.org) ### What happens next for victims and witnesses? The San Francisco Police Department said on May 19 that investigators are still seeking information tied to the Chinatown thefts. Police asked anyone with information to call 415-575-4444 or send a text to TIP411 beginning with “SFPD,” according to the department and CBS Bay Area. The department has not yet announced any court dates for Ruset, Constantine or Matei. (cbsnews.com) (sanfranciscopolice.org)