SAN FRANCISCO – San Francisco police arrested Bill Gene Hobbs, a man accused of inappropriately touching strangers in several incidents.
Earlier in the day, the San Francisco district attorney’s office issued a warrant for Hobbs. They accused him of false imprisonment, six counts of battery, four counts of public nuisance, and three counts of sexual battery.
The 34-year-old is responsible for 14 incidents targeting women that began last month. However, police claimed he was involved in further transgressions from the previous year.
An arrest warrant has been issued for a San Francisco man that police believe is behind a string of incidents in which he inappropriately touched strangers. https://t.co/xtPe92sVFz
— KTVU (@KTVU) October 14, 2022
“I believe the number of victims who have come forward has aided. It certainly helps to build a case to see a pattern of behaviour so that someone can’t claim in one situation that it was harmless or unintentional, “DA Brooke Jenkins says
“In these incidents, an unknown white male would approach female victims and make unwanted physical advances towards them,” San Francisco police said in a statement issued Friday after the warrant was issued. “The suspect would inappropriately touch the victim in many of these cases. The suspect would then flee immediately.”
It was unclear how police identified Hobbs as the alleged perpetrator. But they said they spoke with victims and witnesses and searched for video and photos of what happened.
At around 2:30 p.m., officers received word that Hobbs was in the 3200 block of Van Ness Avenue. Hobbs was apprehended and detained by Park Police. When officers arrived, the suspect was taken into custody without incident.
UPDATE: Bill Hobbs, accused in spree of unwanted physical contacts & attacks on women, arrested by @SFPD @SFPDPark. @SFDAOffice @BrookeJenkinsSF seeking pre-trial detention, saying he’s “public safety threat.” 📸 courtesy @sfchronicle @hknightsf pic.twitter.com/9quW27D14Y
— Henry K. Lee (@henrykleeKTVU) October 15, 2022
