Shocking surveillance video footage shows a male teenager setting fire to a woman’s hair as she sits on a San Francisco bus. The teen, dressed in all red, slides behind the woman, who was facing forward, seemingly with no idea what about to happen.
The footage, released June 2 by San Francisco police, shows the teen holding up a lighter to the hair on the back of the woman’s head for several seconds. The women’s hair was then “set on fire” and she was helped by other passengers after the teen and acquaintance fled, police said.
The victim, described as a woman of Filipino or Latin descent in her 50s or 60s, also left before police arrived. It’s not clear how badly the woman was injured. The primary suspect is described as a Black male in his teens, last seen wearing a red, long-sleeve top with colored logo on the front, matching red pants and a black backpack.
The video was posted on social media, but the police’s appeal to the public for help to identify the suspect baffled many viewers because the firestarter’s face was blurred.
Maybe if you don't blur out the face it'll be easier for the public to help identify this person 🤔
— Trap2thefuture (@trap2thefuture) June 3, 2021
You want us to help you yet blur out the thug’s face! Your PC BS is counter productive & absolutely does not help. Giving a description of the attacker’s clothing does not help either. The attacker would probably have been caught by now if his face had been shown before now!
— mary french (@ukgirlinsf) June 3, 2021
San Francisco Police Department spokesperson Adam Lobsinger later told SFGate.com that the initial focus is on first finding the victim first so that authorities can get a witness statement to build a case.
Anyone having information about the incident is asked to call the SFPD 24-hour tip line at 1-415-575-4444 or text a tip to TIP411 and begin the text message with SFPD. Tipsters may remain anonymous.
Watch KPIX-TV’s news report about the incident below.
