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Police arrest suspect after Upper Haight burglary

SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) – The San Francisco Police Department arrested a suspect in a series of burglaries at construction sites, along with an accomplice, according to a press release.

“Since July 2022 San Francisco Police Department investigators assigned to the Burglary Unit had been investigating a series of residential construction site burglaries that involved a tan Ford pickup truck with a specific license plate and a suspect identified as 34-year-old male, Luiz Celaya, of San Francisco,” the press release stated.

The break in the case came Sept. 15 when plainclothes officers tailing Celaya followed him to a construction site on Ashbury Street between Waller and Frederick streets.

“He and a second suspect committed a burglary of a construction site,” the press release states. “The plainclothes officers coordinated with uniformed officers from Park Station who conducted a traffic stop of the suspect vehicle on the unit block of Ord St. Investigators developed probable cause to arrest Celaya and the second suspect, identified as 25-year-old male Gilbert Monter of San Francisco, who was also in the vehicle. Celaya and Monter were taken into custody.”

SFPD wouldn’t elaborate to KRON4 about the location of the robbery other than that it was on the 700 block of Ashbury; the Grateful Dead house (the purple Victorian that was the location of the band’s Oct. 2, 1967 drug bust), the Lycee Francais de San Francisco and a Roman Catholic Sisters of Perpetual Adoration chapel are all on the block.

“Multiple items of property” were found when police searched Celaya’s car, along with “items that are commonly used as burglary tools.”

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Monter was booked on charges of burglary, possession of burglary tools and a probation violation. Celaya was booked on four counts of burglary, possession of burglary tools and committing a felony while on bail or recognizance.

“While arrests have been made this remains an open investigation. Anyone with information regarding this investigation is asked to call the SFPD Tip Line at 1-415-575-4444 or Text a Tip to TIP411 and begin the text message with SFPD,” the press release concluded. “You may remain anonymous.”