Suspects named in San Francisco marijuana grow hostage standoff

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Suspects named in San Francisco marijuana grow hostage standoff

The man accused of holding four hostages during a six-hour standoff in the Bayview district Wednesday morning following a botched robbery has been identified as William Carter, 22, of San Francisco.

Carter and three accomplices — Damien Thomas, 33; Joseph Hall, 30; and Daniel Contreras, 40 — were booked on multiple charges related to the armed heist at a permitted marijuana-growing operation in the 2100 block of Jennings Street, police said.

The charges include burglary, robbery, false imprisonment, kidnapping and conspiracy, police Sgt. Michael Andraychak said Thursday. The four men allegedly attempted to rob at gunpoint a warehouse containing about 1,000 plants and an unknown quantity of processed marijuana.

When police arrived, Thomas, Hall and Contreras were spotted in the front of the building and subsequently detained, Andraychak said.

Carter, who also faces firearms charges, remained inside the building with four employees.

About 8:30 a.m., a tactical team reportedly went into the building and safely escorted out the hostages. About 90 minutes later, Andraychak said, police told Carter they were coming in along with a police canine. Carter reportedly surrendered out of fear the dog would bite him.


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URL: http://www.sfexaminer.com/blogs/law-and-disorder/2013/03/suspects-named-san-francisco-marijuana-grow-hostage-standoff