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San Francisco car plunge: Neighbor snaps pic of 3 people who fled scene

Neighbors stunned, suspects remain at large after car plunges off Sanchez Street steps in SF
Neighbors stunned, suspects remain at large after car plunges off Sanchez Street steps in SF 02:44

SAN FRANCISCO – People who live near the Sanchez Street steps in San Francisco remain in shock after a car possibly involved in a carjacking plunged off the steps last weekend. Meanwhile, a neighbor captured a photo of the suspects, who remain at large.

A resident who lives nearby told KPIX reporter Betty Yu off camera that, moments before the viral car crash off the Sanchez stairs, he heard some commotion and a man trying to get anyone's attention to help stop his carjackers.

UPDATE: Charges dropped against 2 suspects arrested in San Francisco carjacking, Sanchez stairs crash

The car that flew through a barrier in dramatic fashion in Dolores Heights on Saturday was stolen, according to San Francisco Police.

Witness David Leeson heard the crash and came out of his house. He snapped a photo of three suspects who just exited the white vehicle.

sf-car-plunge-trio-072523.jpg
A picture from an eyewitness purportedly showing three suspects who emerged from a vehicle that plunged off the Sanchez Street in San Francisco on July 25, 2023. David Leeson

One was in a ski mask, another bloodied and carrying a skateboard. Neighbors said two others fled the scene up the Sanchez stairs.

Another neighbor's camera captured the trio walking away from the crime scene.

"My first instinct was to come down and see if I could help anybody," said Leeson, "but people were already starting to come out of the car, and they were already saying things like 'We gotta get outta here, we gotta get outta here, they'll be here soon, we've got three minutes.'"

Moments before it flipped and landed on its hood at 19th and Sanchez Streets, a man told SFPD he was carjacked a few blocks away.

A resident who didn't want to be identified told KPIX 5's Betty Yu that he heard a commotion on Church Street, across Dolores Park.

He heard a man trying to get the attention of people driving by, as he yelled, "Stop him! That's my [expletive] car."

Neighbors said they had also found bottles of alcohol and a gun in the wreckage of the vehicle.

On Monday, Leeson picked up a piece of the railing that landed inside the entrance to his home.

"It's terrible, I mean we've lived here for 30 years, this is the worst thing that I've seen which you know, a lot of things happen here, that's by far the worst," Leeson said.

San Francisco Police have not found the suspects. Anyone with information is asked to contact the SFPD at 415-575-4444 or text a tip to TIP411 and begin the message with SFPD. Tipsters may remain anonymous.    

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