A 40-year-old man attacked and tried to rob an elderly woman in San Francisco Friday morning before he was chased down and detained by good Samaritans, police said.
The man, identified as Christopher Nadon, assaulted the victim, who is in her 80s, around 9 a.m. in the area of Hickory and Gough streets, according to police.
Witnesses told police that Nadon pushed the woman to the ground, started assaulting her and tried to steal her purse.
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A good Samaritan who saw the attack confronted Nadon and chased him on foot, police said.
Nadon ran onto Linden Street where he was met by another good Samaritan who pushed him to the ground, according to police.
Nadon remained on the ground until officers showed up and took him into custody, police said.
The woman, who is Asian, suffered non-life threatening injuries. Police said, at this time, race does not appear to be a motivating factor in the attack.
Nadon was taken to San Francisco County Jail and booked on the following charges: attempted robbery, false imprisonment, elder abuse, kidnapping and battery, police said.
An investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information is asked to call the San Francisco Police Department's tip line at 415-575-4444 or text a tip to TIP411 and start the message with SFPD.
Tips on How to Be an Involved Bystander
If you ever find yourself witnessing an attack, here are some tips from nonprofit Hollaback on how to be a better bystander.
Here are Hollaback’s 5 D’s on how to intervene:
- Distract the suspect by raising your voice
- Delegate duties to people nearby, like telling someone to call 911
- Document and share evidence with police
- Delay by checking in with the victim and staying with them until police arrive
- Direct, meaning if you feel it’s safe, directly intervene
