A man who was on his way to buy an engagement ring was robbed of thousands of dollars in cash immediately after leaving a bank in San Francisco, according to the victim and police.
The 34-year-old man was robbed and injured Saturday in broad daylight in the Mission right after he withdrew about $7,800 cash from a bank, he told The Standard. The victim, an Asian American who asked not to be identified, said he and his mother were shopping for jewelry Saturday morning because he had been planning to propose to his girlfriend.
A vendor at the SoMa’s San Francisco Gift & Jewelry Center promised him a discount for a diamond ring if he paid in cash, he said, so the son and mother went to a Chase Bank at the corner of Bryant and 16th streets.
However, when they walked out of the bank to the parking lot, a gunman approached and demanded money.
“[A] guy pops out at me and asks about money,” the victim said. “He was waving a gun at my face and threatening to kill me.”
After handing over the money, he said, the suspect hit him with the gun and split open his face before running away.
“I didn't realize how hard he hit me until I could start tasting the blood in my mouth,” the man said.
He was later transported to urgent care for stitches to stop the bleeding and prevent his wounds from getting infected.
San Francisco police said the incident happened right before noon, and the victim was pistol-whipped and suffered non-life-threatening injuries. The suspect was described as a man around 20 years old. No arrests have been made.
The victim’s mother told The Standard she suspected the robbery was coordinated.
She said another man in the bank was acting suspicious as he waited in line. The man didn’t ask for services and instead talked on the phone before leaving the bank immediately after the victim withdrew money.
“I really felt targeted,” the victim’s mother said. “Just be careful living in San Francisco.”
The victim filed a claim Saturday with Chase Bank to see if the company would help him recover the stolen money, but he received an email later in the day telling him “no action will be taken” and the inquiry was considered resolved.
Chase Bank officials provided a comment Tuesday saying the customers’ safety is their priority and “we’re working with the San Francisco Police Department’s investigation.”