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San Francisco Man Faces Hate Crimes Charges in Over 30 Acts of Vandalism, Burglary at Chinese-Owned Businesses

SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) -- San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin on Monday announced a man is facing 33 charges, including hate crime allegations, for 27 separate incidents of vandalism and burglary targeting 20 primarily Chinese-owned businesses.

According to a press release issued by the SF District Attorney's Office, 36-year-old San Francisco resident Derik Barreto allegedly committed a string of racially motivated offenses between April and August of this year. Barreto is scheduled to be arraigned Monday afternoon.

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"We absolutely do not tolerate violence or hate in San Francisco. Chinese-owned businesses should be able to operate without fear of being racially targeted by vandalism, burglary, or harassment," Boudin said in the release. "We stand with San Francisco's AAPI community against hate and will do everything in our power to make sure everyone is and feels safe."

According to the DA, Barreto allegedly rode around San Francisco on a scooter and shattered the windows of 20 separate stores using a slingshot, pipe, or hammer. He targeted mostly Chinese-owned businesses along the Ocean Avenue corridor and in the Mission, committing burglaries at some of the businesses.

Back in June, KPIX 5 reported on several San Francisco businesses in Chinatown and the Ingleside neighborhood dealing with the challenge of repairing costly damage left behind by repeated acts of vandalism.

Dim Sum Corner on Grant Avenue and California Street in Chinatown and the Chase Luck Bakery on Ocean Avenue were among the businesses reporting repeat window smashing incidents. The Ingleside bakery posted surveillance video showing one of the attacks from April of this year.

Another break-in Chase Luck Bakery, San Francisco by David J on YouTube

Barreto faces 27 felony counts of vandalism along with four felony counts of second-degree burglary, a misdemeanor count of possession of burglary tools, a misdemeanor count of possession of a concealed weapon with hate crime enhancements accompanying 31 of those charges counts.

The burglary charges stem from five separate incidents in which Barreto allegedly took cash and other items from businesses after entering through the broken windows. The DA's Office charged the 31 hate crime enhancements based on statements Barreto allegedly made to police, suggesting that he intentionally targeted businesses he believed to be Chinese-owned and that he was motivated by the perceived race and nationality of the victims.

"Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have seen a deeply concerning increase in the incidence of hate and violence against the AAPI community," Boudin said. "We will not stand for it and we will do everything in our power to stop it."

Anyone who may have witnessed or experienced a hate crime should call the San Francisco District Attorney's Hate Crime hotline at (628) 652-4311.

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