Two small children are safe Sunday in San Francisco after the minivan they were in was stolen Saturday night while their father was doing food deliveries.
Now, they’re father is speaking out, and late Sunday afternoon the police chief gave an update.
“Knowing they were safe, it was just a big weight off my shoulder, thank god, thank god,” said Jeffrey Fang, the children’s father.
He described the moment he learned his two small children were safe. Police found the children, ages 4 and 2, in the Bayview neighborhood in the Honda Odyssey that was stolen around 8:45 p.m. as Fang made his last DoorDash delivery of the night in Pacific Heights.
“I went in, it took about a minute, and when I came out a strange man was in my car in the driver’s seat,” Fang said. “I approached him and opened my car and yelled and shouted at him.”
The man put the car in reverse, but Fang held on and tried to pull him out.
“He saw my desperation,” Fang said. "I knew my children were inside. I was desperately trying to get him out, he proceeded to leave my car.”
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The man snatched Fang’s phone and jumped in a getaway car. Fang saw that his kids were okay, so he ran after the man as his phone is his only source of income. There was a struggle, and when Fang returned to where the minivan had been, it was gone.
He called 911.
A couple nearby heard the commotion and decided to look for the minivan.
“I heard a scream, my husband thought it was the TV,” said the one of the pair, who did not want to be identified.
An Amber Alert was issued and police searched.
“I’m going to make a personal appeal to the people responsible to turn themselves in because this crime was extremely, extremely serious,” said Chief Bill Scott.
The children were medically evaluated and reunited with their father. An online fundraiser was set up for the family.
“The response from the neighborhood and the response from the city warms my heart,” Fang said.
