Suspects Arrested After Impersonating Construction Workers To Burglarize SF Home: Police

SAN FRANCISCO, CA — Three East Bay residents were arrested last month in connection with a series of auto and home burglaries, police said.

Police say they started tracking the suspects after they were observed by the department's Real Time Investigation Center driving in a maroon Kia SUV from the East Bay into San Francisco on Wednesday, July 29.

Officers and a drone operator surveilled the car as it drove through the city, according to the San Francisco Police Department.

At one point, the car was involved in a hit-and-run crash where the driver pulled over and changed the car's license plate, police said.

Officers continued to surveil the vehicle, which appeared to be casing buildings that were under construction, police said.

Eventually, the driver pulled over in the area of Green and Divisadero streets, police said.

That's when two people got out of the car, put on high-visibility construction vests and burglarized a home that was under construction, while a third person waited for them, police said.

As the two suspects left the home, officers arrested them in connection with the burglaries, police said.

The getaway driver, meanwhile, drove off, hitting a squad car in the process, police said.

An officer followed the vehicle with a drone until the suspect parked near Aquatic Park, police said.

There, the suspect tried running off but was quickly detained by officers, police said.

The suspects, identified as Tiffany Riley, 39, of Richmond; Steven Bucther, 38, of Martinez; and Ndaya Green, 25, of Oakland, all had outstanding warrants for their arrest before the incident, police said.

They were each booked on suspicion of burglary, conspiracy, possession of burglary tools, resisting arrest, vehicle registration fraud, evading and miscellaneous drug charges, police said.