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San Francisco DA wants more consequences for repeat offenders
A man previously charged in a spree of burglaries across San Francisco has now been accused of being among a number of strangers who took over an Oakland home advertised on a home-sharing website.
OAKLAND, Calif. - A man previously charged in a burglary spree across San Francisco is now accused of being among a group of strangers who took over an Oakland home listed on a home-sharing website, authorities said.
The suspect, Patrick Potter, 32, is accused of occupying the home while wearing an ankle monitor after failing to comply with the terms of a mental health diversion program tied to the San Francisco cases.
The Oakland homeowner, identified only as Jenny, said her Leona Heights home was taken over after someone hacked her account on the HomeExchange rental platform.
"Just the arrogance of that, really," Jenny said Monday. "You have an ankle bracelet. You are being tracked. But you decide to continue your crimes anyway."
Prolific SF burglar
What we know:
Potter was arrested in 2023 and charged in 18 burglaries across San Francisco, including one involving a Chinatown nonprofit, prosecutors said. A judge later granted him mental health diversion.
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Authorities said Potter was later removed from a residential treatment program and failed to report to the sheriff’s office.
"[He] absconded, so meaning he left that program, and then went on another burglary spree over in the East Bay," San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins said.
DA says GPS links suspect to Oakland crimes
Timeline:
Investigators said GPS data from Potter’s ankle monitor placed him at Jenny’s Oakland home, where authorities also found a pill bottle bearing his name.
GPS data also placed Potter at Crown Coffee on Broadway in Oakland’s Auto Row neighborhood, where investigators said $400, an iPad and a laptop were stolen. A café official told KTVU no employees were injured and the incident was quickly resolved.
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Jenkins said her office is asking a judge to revoke Potter’s diversion and order him held without bail, citing public safety concerns.
"This is somebody who has proven to us that even under court order, even with an ankle monitor, that he cannot be controlled, that he will not remain in the program, and that he is going to continue to commit crime," Jenkins said.
She criticized what she described as judicial leniency in similar cases.
"We have to draw a line somewhere," Jenkins said. Adding that judges' failure to "terminate people from these programs who are clearly not complying and engaging in further crime continues to be a problem."
Henry Lee is a KTVU crime reporter. E-mail Henry at Henry.Lee@fox.com and follow him on X @henrykleeKTVU and www.facebook.com/henrykleefan
The Source: This story was written based on information from San Fancisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins along with Oakland police.