By Nikki Silverstein
Hero: Lana shopped at the Safeway in Strawberry Village and paid for her groceries with money tucked in her small purse. Hours later, she realized that her clutch was missing. She hurried back to Safeway and frantically retraced her steps. Nada. Cash, credit cards and personal identification had vanished. Though the store took her contact info, days passed with no news and she accepted that it was gone for good. Then, a package arrived at her Sausalito houseboat, via U.S. mail, with no sender’s name and only a P.O. Box for the return address. Inside she found her tiny tote, totally intact, with not a dime missing. Lana would like us to hail her humble, honest hero. Glad to oblige: Many thanks and much appreciation.
Zero: We hold particular contempt for a man who preyed upon immigrants in the Canal neighborhood of San Rafael. The suspect, Tifano Ariel Rodas Maldonado, 38, of San Rafael, posed as a landlord and posted ads at laundromats under a fictitious name. Victims who responded were offered housing in exchange for sex acts. In early May, a San Rafael Police Department (SRPD) undercover officer spoke on the phone with Maldonado, who said he wanted $2,000 a month and sex in exchange for the apartment. When arrested for felony, fraud and prostitution, he admitted that he didn’t have access to real estate and had posted the ad numerous times. The SRPD emphasizes that anyone, regardless of immigration status, should report crimes without fear of deportation. Contact them at 415/485-3000.
