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San Francisco Supervisor Robbed Of Cell Phone, But Gets Suspects On Video At ATM

SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) -- A quick-thinking San Francisco Supervisor was able to help authorities apprehend a cell phone robbery suspect when he became a victim of the crime himself.

Supervisor Scott Wiener was walking from his home in the Castro to 16th and Mission when a group of suspects stole his phone.

"My immediate reaction was, 'give me my phone back,'" Wiener told KPIX 5.

Wiener proposed a deal to get his phone back.

"They said that they would give it back to me if I gave them money," Wiener said.

Wiener had a plan in mind when walking with the suspects to an ATM.  He wanted to get their faces on camera.

"I decided I was going to get them to an ATM so they would get it captured on video," Wiener said.

But, the three suspects made it very clear that they were in charge.

"She showed me a black canister, and told me that it was mace, and told me that if I yell out, or try to pull anything she would mace me in the face. And then at one point, she insinuated one of her friends had a gun," Wiener said.

The supervisor got his phone back, and the suspects fled with $200.  But, their victory was short lived, as one woman was quickly picked up by police thanks to a security guard at the bank.

"I think I violated all the rules of what you're supposed to do when you're a victim of crime," Wiener said.

For Wiener, it was the first time he had been a victim of crime.

"Honestly, it sort of pissed me off because she and her two buddies, they victimized me. But, that means they're also victimizing other people; probably victimizing people who really can't stick up for themselves," Wiener said.

Wiener was able to identify the woman taken into custody during a police lineup.  The other two suspects remained at large.

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