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Pair Accused Of Pickpocketing At Least 12 San Francisco SoMa Nightclub Patrons

SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) – Two men have been arrested for allegedly stealing several cellphones and wallets from nightclub patrons in the San Francisco's South of Market neighborhood over the weekend, police said.

Christopher Duran Morales, a 23-year-old from Daly City, and 24-year-old Brandon Godoy-Arevalo of San Francisco were taken into custody on suspicion of robbery, conspiracy and grand theft early Saturday morning.

Officers with the Tenderloin station responded around 1:40 a.m. early Saturday morning to a nightclub on the 400 block of Jessie Street after security guards detained two people. One of the guards told police that multiple people complained that their phones and wallets were snatched while inside the club.

After a victim described a possible suspect, a security guard observed a suspect remove a phone from a woman's back pocket, while the other suspect tried to conceal the attempt, police said.

Christopher Duran Morales, Brandon Godoy-Arevalo Pickpocketing Suspects
Christopher Duran Morales (left) and Brandon Godoy-Arevalo. (San Francisco Police Department)

Security then confronted the two suspects. Police said one of the suspects tried to run away after a search turned up several phones, but was quickly detained by guards. The second suspect removed stolen items from his pockets and was also detained.

The stolen items were collected and 12 victims were able to recover their property, police said. Other items that were not able to be returned were entered into evidence.

Morales and Godoy-Arevalo were booked into the San Francisco County Jail. It was not immediately clear when the two would appear in court.

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