At 8 a.m., the businessmen checked out of the Holiday Inn located at 275 South Airport Blvd., loaded their luggage into the rental car, and got in to return to the San Francisco International Airport, Sgt. Joni Lee of the South San Francisco Police Department said.
Four Hispanic men with their faces covered reportedly approached the victims’ car, smashing its windows, slashing one of the tires with a knife, and fleeing with the victims’ backpack and other luggage.
Lee said that no jewelry was taken. However, the suspects took luggage that contained the victims’ laptops, credit cards and other personal belongings worth less than $4,000.
The victims were not injured and have since left the Bay Area, police said.
The suspects fled in an American-made four-door car of a dark color, police said. One of the suspects was described as 5 feet 8 inches tall, weighing 160 pounds.
Visiting jewelry salesmen are often targeted by muggers in the Bay Area, Lee said. According to police, South City sees a couple of similar incidents a year.
“This happened before with the same method of operation,” Lee said. “They smashed the windows, punctured a tire so they wouldn’t be followed and took off. They are in and out in 30 seconds.”
Lee explained that jewelry salesmen may be followed from jewelry stores back to their hotels, where the attackers wait for them.
“We always recommend that they vary their trips — go to different locations at different times, and don’t park in isolated places,” she said. “Luckily, we haven’t had anyone who’s been a victim twice.”
Source: examiner
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