San Francisco police apprehended three suspects accused of using elaborate tactics, including swapping license plates and disguising themselves as construction workers, in an attempt to evade law enforcement during a residential burglary on July 29. The San Francisco Police Department's Real Time Investigation Center utilized a drone to monitor the suspects' movements from the time their vehicle, a maroon Kia SUV, entered the city from the East Bay.
Investigators had identified the SUV as having been used in multiple previous auto and residential burglaries. As officers tracked the vehicle, the driver was involved in a hit-and-run. Subsequently, the driver stopped and switched the license plates on the SUV. The drone captured these actions, as well as two passengers exiting the vehicle to don high-visibility construction vests.
Police reported that the suspects then used these disguises to blend in while burglarizing a home under construction. The driver remained in the vehicle. As the two individuals exited the building, officers moved in to make arrests. The driver attempted to flee, colliding with an SFPD vehicle.
The drone continued to track the fleeing vehicle as it drove into the Central District. The driver eventually parked the car near Aquatic Park and attempted to escape on foot but was quickly apprehended. The three suspects have been booked into jail on suspicion of multiple charges, including burglary, conspiracy, possession of burglary tools, resisting arrest, evading law enforcement, and drug charges.
The suspects were identified as Tiffany Riley, 39, of Richmond; Steven Bucther, 38, of Martinez; and Ndaya Green, 25, of Oakland. The SFPD released drone footage of the incident, illustrating the crew's alleged attempt to circumvent police surveillance.
