On Jan. 27, just before 1 p.m., a man approached a street vendor in the 600 block of Hampshire Avenue in unincorporated San Mateo County. The man asked the vendor if he could purchase a piece of fruit for one dollar.
When the vendor told the suspect that the fruit cost more, he punched the vendor, Redwood City police said, then chased him down the street to punch and kick him. The suspect ultimately fled the scene on foot without taking any money.
Redwood City police Detective Aaron Treadway said the same man is probably behind a Jan. 13 attack and robbery, involving a different street vendor in the 600 block of Laurel Street in Redwood City.
According to police, both victims described their attacker as a man age 18 to 20, between 6 feet and 6 feet 2 inches tall. The suspect is described as a heavyset man of Pacific Islander heritage with long, bushy hair.
"I think he's local," Treadway said. "This suspect probably lives in the area."
Police released a sketch of the suspect today. Anyone with information regarding these attacks should contact Redwood City police Detective Aaron Treadway at (650) 780-7141 or San Mateo County sheriff's Detective Saul Lopez at (650) 363-4347.
