On Monday, November 30th, just after 12 p.m., about a dozen men from various S.F. law enforcement agencies batter rammed through the front door of a house on the South West corner of the 500 block of Vermont Street. The house was under surveillance for suspected methamphetamine drug dealing and for being a safe house for a criminal car theft ring. Nearby residents had complained about the house previously, as it was often the sight of loud noise and much coming and goings. There was often trash piled out front, along with children’s toys. Arguments, screeching tires, and unkempt barking dogs were other attributes of the residence.
It was determined in the early Fall that the house was being used by car thieves, and so the Highway patrol got involved. A joint task force was created with the SFPD and Daly City police, given that car thefts had occurred in both districts. In addition to the SFPD and Daly City police, DEA agents stormed the place, with bulletproof vests on and guns drawn. Two large German Shepherd police dogs were also on the scene. One woman was handcuffed and taken away and the investigators spent about two hours sifting through the house. A few hours later an elderly woman – perhaps in her late seventies – was extracted and put in a waiting ambulance. The woman was located in a unit below the main house, and adult protective services were called in once she was found. One neighbor said that he hadn’t seen the woman in four years. The house is now sealed up with changed locks and is in the custody of the courts. The house was the topic of many block meetings and a constant source of agitation for neighbors.
