Two Held for Trial in Pink Saturday Cases

As the man who kicked a robbery victim in the face just after this year's Pink Saturday party remains at large, a judge this week ordered two of the people who were with him to stand trial in connection with other incidents that occurred after the Castro area street party.

Soon after the June 29 pre-Pride event, which drew thousands of people to the gay neighborhood, the San Francisco Police Department released a video showing the woman, who had just been robbed, lying on the ground. An unidentified suspect, who took part in the initial attack on her, kicked her so hard in the face that she was knocked unconscious, police said.

A more complete version of the video, which was shown several times during a Tuesday, July 16 preliminary hearing in San Francisco Superior Court, shows the suspect and a woman attacking the victim, and the woman grabbing what appears to be the victim's purse. The incident occurred outside the Mint karaoke lounge, 1942 Market Street.

During testimony Tuesday, another woman pointed to Johnay Davis, 20, of Oakland, as the female robber.

At the end of the hearing, Superior Court Judge Andrew Y.S. Cheng found there was sufficient evidence to hold Davis and Julian Williams, 22, also of Oakland, to answer on two counts of second-degree robbery, a charge of attempted second-degree robbery, and an allegation of causing great bodily injury stemming from other incidents that took place early June 30.

Additionally, Cheng held Williams to answer on another attempted second-degree robbery charge.

Williams was not held to answer on charges of assault with force likely to cause great bodily injury and false imprisonment. The charges are largely based on witness accounts, as the victims appeared to have trouble identifying who had robbed them.

Williams was also identified as one of the people in the video, although it doesn't show him attacking the victim.

Charges against Oakland resident Demaurija Monzarell Collins, 21, who had also been arrested in connection with the incidents, were dropped.

One victim, a lanky young woman with short hair, testified Tuesday that she had been walking down Market Street with friends when "I felt somebody grab my cellphone out of my back pocket." She turned around and a man hit her in the face. She stumbled, got back up, and he hit her again.

"I was knocked unconscious," she said. Williams allegedly tried to take the victim's friend's cellphone. The robbery victim had been found in the bushes near the Safeway on Market Street, according to court testimony.

Another victim, a slender man who according to police is 19, said he and a friend had gone to what he called "the pink parade" and had been walking down Market Street near Church when several people surrounded them.

A man later identified as Williams stood in front of him, and he felt the man "digging in my pockets," he said. He realized after they walked away that his cellphone was missing. The victim's friend testified that Davis had blocked her path as the victim was pushed around.

"It was very scary," the friend said. "It's not something I've ever had to go through before."

Collins, Davis, and Williams were arraigned July 3 and their bail was set at $175,000 apiece. Assistant District Attorney Tinnetta Thompson is prosecuting all three defendants, who appeared in court Tuesday. At the end of the hearing, Cheng exonerated Collins's bail.

It's not clear how much the suspects who are in custody are helping to identify the man who is at large.

Officer Tracy Turner, an SFPD spokeswoman, said no updates on the unidentified suspect's status were available as of Wednesday, July 17. In an interview last week, she said the defendants could say who they were with the night of the incidents "if they wanted to, but they refuse to provide that information."

Turner said police can't offer the three any incentive to share the man's name, and that would be up to the district attorney's office. Alex Bastian, a spokesman for the DA, declined to comment.

After Tuesday's hearing, Deputy Public Defender Stephen Rosen, who's representing Davis, would only say, "A jury trial will clear up everything." Attorney Susan Kaplan, who's representing Collins, declined to comment. Williams's attorney, Peter Furst, wasn't available immediately after the hearing.

Davis and Williams are due in court July 30 for arraignment.

A video of the unidentified kicker is available at sanfranciscopolice.org/index.aspx?recordid=718&page=3763.