Full Notification

MEDIA RELEASE / COMMUNITY ALERT
For Immediate Release No. 20241020-060
Sunday, October 20, 2024
 
Facebook Date Turns Into Robbery, Arrest Made
 
Female arrested after meeting someone on Facebook and robbing him.
 
San Mateo, CA – On Thursday, October 17, 2024, at 8:12pm, San Mateo Police officers were contacted by a subject who claimed to have been kidnapped and robbed by a subject he met on Facebook. The victim claimed to have been having conversations with a female, identified as Luciana Romano, on Facebook for the purposes of dating her over the past couple of days. They arranged to meet in person at a location on Hillsdale Blvd., which they did. At that time, the victim said the two talked in his vehicle, when Romano made a threat the male perceived as a threat on his life. Therefore, he complied with Romano’s demands to be driven to a gas station in San Carlos, where he was to withdraw money from an ATM machine. The victim was then directed to drive to a San Carlos motel where they made a brief stop before he was directed to return to San Mateo, where Romano eventually vacated the vehicle on the 100 block of 37^th Ave.
 
The victim was able to provide a Facebook photo of Romano, and a records search led to her identity. The following day, Friday, October 18, 2024, at 7:55pm, an operation was conducted to arrest Romano. She was arrested upon exit of her apartment. After an interview, she was transported and booked into County Jail.
 
 
ARRESTED
Luciana Romano, age 31, San Mateo resident
 
CHARGES:
207(a) PC:  Kidnapping, 211 PC:  Robbery
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MEDIA RELEASE / COMMUNITY ALERT
For Immediate Release No. 20241020-061
Sunday, October 20, 2024
 
Carjacking Arrest Made
 
Carjacker arrested in San Bruno after he assaulted the driver and stole his car.
 
San Mateo, CA – On Saturday, October 19, 2024, at 7:10pm, San Mateo Police officers were dispatched to the 100 block of E. 3^rd Ave. on report of a carjacking. The victim stated a subject came up to him while he was sitting in his vehicle and pulled him from the car, hitting him twice on the back of the head with an unknown object, he believed was a firearm. The subject then stole the car while the victim was on the ground. A countywide “be on the lookout” was initiated and the vehicle was spotted in San Bruno a short time after.
 
With the assistance of San Bruno Police Department, a traffic stop was initiated on the vehicle and the suspect, identified as Maurice Powell, was arrested. A search of Powell, incident to arrest, revealed he had a bag of psilocybin mushrooms on his person. Powell was issued a citation for violation of 11350(a) HS but was transported and booked into San Mateo County Jail on the carjacking charge. No firearm was found.
 
ARRESTED
Maurice Powell, age 53, San Francisco resident
 
CHARGES:
215(a) PC:  Carjacking
11350(a) HS:  Possession of a Controlled Substance
 
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