By Esme Lipton
SAN FRANCISCO, CA – A San Francisco County Superior Court is holding a man because he went too far – he allegedly attempted to burglarize a See’s Candy store.
Now, the judge this week won’t release him because he’s a “safety risk” to the public. And, certainly, candy stores.
According to his official arrest record, Khaled Faisal Khanshali was taken into custody on suspicion of robbery, burglary, vandalism, and receiving or concealing stolen property on July 18, 2021 in a See’s Candies store in San Francisco.
As described in the police report, Khanshali was terrorizing the shop’s employees and appeared to be in a “state of manic.” As the workers frantically exited the establishment, they locked Khanshali inside the store as they waited for law enforcement to arrive.
During this time, the defendant allegedly “used the cash register to break the window” in an attempt to escape, resulting in over $5,000 worth of damages.
“The defendant has a long history of theft related cases […] the people are firm in their stance on detention,” stated the prosecution. Public Defender Scott Grant, however, believes detention is unwarranted.
“I understand that the workers were afraid, but they locked him inside,” stated PD Grant. “[The defendant] wrote a four page apology, he’s been struggling with homelessness and PTSD […] I don’t know what keeping him in jail will accomplish,” Grant argued.
The attorney also said that his client will seek mental health services if the court decides to release him.
But Judge Brian Ferrall had other plans.
“I’m not comfortable releasing him today. I’m not sure what the cause for the manic state was. Until I have some reason to believe that something like this won’t happen again, there’s a significant public safety concern,” replied Judge Ferrall.
PD Grant requested a formal hearing on a motion to detain, which the judge granted.
Khanshali’s next hearing will take place on July 27 at 9 a.m. in Dept. 11.
