EXCLUSIVE: Silicon Valley investor takes aim at DA Chesa Boudin after SF home burglarized by parolee
SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- A hot-prowl burglary suspect in San Francisco not only confesses to his crimes on camera to his victim, but coupled with new data from the city, highlights the way District Attorney Chesa Boudin is handling repeat offender cases.
"I was in shock, really," says Cyan Banister, a well-known investor in Silicon Valley who had her home burglarized in December while her son was inside.
"My son is 9-years-old. That keeps me up at night. My son was literally on the other side of the window," she said.
RELATED: Efforts to recall SF DA after parolee suspected of double hit-and-run on NYE
Cyan's chicken coop camera in the backyard caught the suspect taking more than $30,000 in items including a computer, laptops and a high-end camera inside the home. The video then shows him circle back outside to take home improvement tools, such as a power washer in a matter of minutes.
Sadly, similar incidents aren't uncommon. The number of burglaries is on the rise in the city. But what makes this case so bizarre is what happened the very next day.
"I opened the door and it wasn't the police, it was my perpetrator," Banister said.
Heard on camera, a full confession including that the suspect is on parole.
"I'm going to get punished I know that," the man said.
VIDEO: SF DA responds to criticism over handling of deadly hit-and-run
He then explained his daughter was in the car and they were on their way to school. As he apologized for his actions from the previous day, he vowed to make things right with Cyan.
"I'm gonna find everything. I'm going to hunt it down and I'm going to bring it. And change something. Change my life," he said.
Cyan says she felt a level of empathy for the man.
"I really wanted to give this guy a chance. I really wanted to hold his hand."
But when Cyan's belongings never returned, she called police and started following other burglary cases and arrests involving parolees. She even changed her Twitter profile name to "Recall Chesa Boudin" over his handling of these crimes.
"He's not prosecuting!" exclaims Cyan.
RELATED: 2 pedestrians killed in hit-and-run in SF's South of Market neighborhood on New Year's Eve
A tragic double fatal hit-and-run on New Year's Eve also involved a repeat offender and parolee. Troy McAlister, was driving a stolen car and hit Hana Abe and Elizabeth Platt.
ABC7 News anchor Dion Lim interviewed Boudin live during ABC7 News at 11 about the incident, asking him why he did not take accountability. San Francisco supervisor Catherine Stefani and Mayor London Breed then asked police for numbers on rearrests for those on probation and parole.
Lim obtained the report which clearly shows a change from 2019 when George Gascon and Suzy Loftus served as DA, to 2020 during Boudin's first year. There was an 18% increase in cases sent to parole, probation or post-release community supervision. The amount of time a defendant spent in custody also dropped 51% to just 18 days.
"I'm curious to see how the DA will handle this situation if my suspect is apprehended," says Cyan. She says if he does not prosecute, she plans to take the case to a federal level because a passport was stolen.
She has this message for other crime victims:
"We all have to start standing up and saying something because otherwise more people are going to die."
A request for comment to Boudin's office was not returned.
"If there's no deterrents in this city, we might as well have an 'everything is free' sign above our doors," Cyan said.
