Gov. Newsom calls attack on SF woman 'very serious issue'

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- An incident caught on camera showing a woman being attacked prompted a response from Gov. Gavin Newsom on Thursday, calling the situation "a very serious issue."

The attack is the latest incident leaving San Francisco residents concerned about their personal safety -- and now outrage after the suspect was released by a judge.

VIDEO: Woman attacked in front of home by man believed to be homeless

"I was just made aware of this and it was a very serious issue, and it goes to the core of people wanting to live in a city as spectacular as this," Gov. Newsom said at a meeting.

"The foundation is safety and I hear it all the time. These quality of life crimes, these crimes that are stopped, and it appears that was the case. She was very fortunate, could have been a terrible incident. It was just a traumatic one. And how often they are dealt with. People say, sometimes they are just flippantly dealt with and not seriously dealt with. And people are back out on the streets, potentially able to commit the crime again."

RELATED: Woman attacked in front of home by man believed to be homeless

Surveillance video showed Paneez Kosarian trying to get through the front door of her apartment building on Monday when a man grabbed her, pulling her away from the door and onto the ground. She struggled to get away, finally able to crawl inside as the man grabs her legs. He tries again to get inside, but they're able to close the door.

Gov. Newsom called for more resources to combat these kinds of incidents.

"I deeply respect the emotional tenor of not only that example and that incident, but more broadly what I hear when I come back in the city about car break-ins about quality of life, about what is happening on the streets and sidewalks. As a former mayor, I'm deeply sensitive to that. Your mayor, I think, is doing an extraordinary job, but she's going to need, as we all do, more support and that's one of the reasons why we're in here in this city," Newsom added.

RELATED: Despite prosecutor's concerns, suspect released after being charged in attack of woman in SF

After Monday's incident, Austin James Vincent was arrested and charged with battery, false imprisonment and second-degree robbery. He appeared in court for the first time on Tuesday. He was also released that day.

Vincent was released after the judge read the police report, the public safety assessment and watched the video.

The judge ordered Vincent enroll in a program with assertive case management, which falls under the jurisdiction of the San Francisco Pretrial Diversion Project. The judge also ordered Vincent to stay away from the victim.

On Thursday, Kosarian Tweeted that she is "not stopping until we have answers from the judge and elected officials that do not prioritize our safety and wellbeing over criminals."

Vincent is scheduled to be back in court on Sept. 12 for a pretrial hearing.