A San Francisco reporter was investigating a story on a serious of vehicle break-ins around the San Francisco area.

Thefts have been on the rise since the San Francisco Metropolitan Transportation Authority closed access to a popular vista point because of the pandemic.

On Wednesday afternoon, Don Ford with KPIX 5 was preparing to interview homeowners about the situation when a white luxury sedan with four men pulled up next to him.

“The car came up here while we were about to do an interview, three guys jumped out,” said Ford, explaining on KPIX 5. “One had a gun and put in my face and said, ‘We’re taking the camera.'”

He said the encounter took about a minute.

“My whole thought at the moment was be calm. Let’s not get this guy excited. He’s got the gun. I don’t. So you take you the camera. It’s yours Buddy.”

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“I was worried that this is what’s gonna happen, because as thieves get more and more brazen, they do more and more brazenly things. I’m not making that up. We just had that experience today,” a neighbor who asked not to be identified told KPIX 5.

The neighbor stood still as he watched the robbery take place.

“I just looked and I said, ‘I’m not going to get shot today,'” he said.

Nobody was injured, but the camera was located through a tracking chip later Wednesday.

Read more at KPIX 5

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