The Office of San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins announced a conviction in a case of vandalism that occured on Ingleside's stretch of Ocean Avenue.
Steven Gaffney, 48, was tried for entering Launderland in the Lakewood Plaza strip mall after midnight on Feb. 2, despite a court order requiring that he stay away from the premises, and prying away a coin-exchange machine fixed to a wall using a metal tool causing $4,400 in damage.
Launderland is a coin-op laundromat inside Lakewood Plaza. | Ingleside Light file
A jury found him guilty of felony vandalism and violating a court order.
“This verdict holds Mr. Gaffney accountable for his crimes, while making it clear that San Franciscans will not tolerate vandalism," Jenkins said in a statement. "Vandalism like this impact our residents and small businesses across the city and cannot be tolerated or normalized.”
Launderland's owners had obtained a Civil Harassment Restraining Order against Gaffney that prohibited him from coming within 100 yards of the business.
Gaffney had repeatedly "harassed and intimidated customers, engaged in disruptive and threatening behavior, and repeatedly used the laundromat as an unauthorized residence despite numerous warnings and prior law enforcement interventions," according to a news release.
“I am grateful to the jury for their careful review of the evidence,” said Assistant District Attorney Paul Samra. “This guilty verdict sends a clear message: property rights are not optional, and no one is above the law. Businesses and residents have the fundamental right to operate and live free from the fear and devastation caused by vandals," Assistant District Attorney Paul Samra said.
A request for comment from Launderland's owners was not immediately returned.
