FILE: San Francisco police have arrested a suspect in a recent attack on a San Francisco restaurant owner.
RichLegg/Getty ImagesSan Francisco police have arrested a suspect in a recent attack on a San Francisco restaurant owner, according to a press release.
On July 19, police responded to a report of battery by Peterson Harter, the co-owner of 3-month-old sandwich shop Sandy’s on Haight Street. According to the press release, when police arrived on the scene, they “located an adult male victim who state[d] that he got into a verbal altercation with an unknown male. The male suspect then struck the victim’s face, which caused the victim serious injuries.”
Harter told the San Francisco Chronicle last month that he saw a man urinating near his trash cans and told him to stop (the Chronicle and SFGATE are both owned by Hearst but have separate newsrooms). He alleged that the man then punched him in the face, sharing a photo of a black eye and other injuries to his face in a since-deleted post on Instagram. The community rallied around Harter following the attack, sharing messages of support on social media.
Now, police have identified the suspect as 30-year-old Irvin Lara Rivera. He was arrested July 29 in the area of 18th and San Carlos streets and booked at San Francisco County Jail. Rivera faces a charge of battery with serious injuries, as well as charges of sexual battery, the prohibited possession of a firearm and criminal threats stemming from two warrants unrelated to the July 19 attack.
“I’m just happy to know he’s off the streets not terrorizing anyone else at this time,” Harter told the Chronicle via text, adding that he was grateful for all the support from the community he’d received following the attack. SFGATE could not reach Sandy’s for comment in time for publication.