San Francisco running store targeted by burglars for fourth time in less than two years

By Da Lin

A San Francisco small-business owner is picking up the pieces after four masked burglars broke into her Noe Valley running store early Sunday morning, stealing thousands of dollars worth of shoes and clothing.

The burglary at Running Wylder happened around 4 a.m., when surveillance video captured a group of four men targeting the store.

Katie Douglas, who opened the store less than two years ago, said the burglars first tried to force open the front door.

“They had like a crowbar or something and they tried to jimmy open the door and couldn’t,” Douglas said. “So then, the guy just kind of casually walked out, checked the street, and then just broke the window.”

The men then entered the store and began grabbing merchandise. Douglas said the burglary appeared organized, with the group leaving within about two minutes.

“The first two rails in the store were nearly empty because they just started grabbing arms full of clothing,” she said.

Douglas said Sunday’s burglary was the fourth time Running Wylder has been targeted since opening, following three previous attempted break-ins. This time, the thieves took merchandise that Douglas said she had not yet paid for.

“That’s the part that sucks the most. I had products get stolen that I haven’t even paid for, yet,” she said. “So now I’m paying on products that I don’t even have, which is just insult to injury.”

Douglas said she applied for San Francisco’s Vandalism Relief Grant, a program that can provide businesses with up to $2,000 to replace broken windows. The program, however, is not currently accepting applications.

The city said it has funding for the current fiscal year and hopes to reopen the program later this year. A city official said Running Wylder may be eligible to apply retroactively.

In a statement, the Office of Economic and Workforce Development said the agency and the Office of Small Business “provide ongoing support to help new and existing businesses in San Francisco, connecting them to resources and technical assistance. We encourage businesses in need of guidance to reach out — our team is here to help.”

Douglas said that assistance does little to address the immediate security concerns facing her business.

“With tech and AI and all of this ‘San Francisco is back, baby.’ Cool, but where is your help for small businesses?” she asked.

Douglas has started an online fundraiser to help pay for a replacement window and a security gate.

“I have to get a security gate. And that’s the biggest expense. Insurance isn’t going to cover that. The vandalism grant is not going to cover that,” she said.

Douglas said she would like the city to consider additional grants that would help small businesses pay for security measures before they become victims of crime.

The San Francisco Police Department reports that overall burglaries are down 22% this year. There have been 2,129 burglaries reported so far this year, compared with 2,744 during the same period last year.

While the burglary has left Douglas frustrated, she said the response from customers and the community has also shown her a different side of San Francisco.

“I just want to say thank you to everybody who’s helped our store out. Thank you for all the messages,” she said.

Douglas is still calculating the total value of the stolen merchandise. Police have not said whether any arrests have been made in connection with the burglary.