SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) — Prosecutors charged three Vallejo men with a series of pickpocket crimes committed in San Francisco’s Chinatown.
Stefan Ruset, 35, Marian Constantine, 30, and Florin Matei, 26, were charged with grand theft and possession of stolen property, District Attorney Brooke Jenkins announced Wednesday.
The San Francisco Police Department said it began receiving reports in April from merchants, shoppers, and community members about pickpocket thieves in Chinatown. One victim lost $4,000 in property.
Undercover officers and the Real Time Investigation Center identified Ruset, Constantine, and Matei as suspects.
On May 16, investigators tracked the Vallejo trio’s vehicle entering San Francisco using Automated License Plate Reader cameras and a drone. The group parked near Chinatown and began casing for victims throughout the neighborhood, police said.
“Plainclothes officers observed the group working together to steal property from victims while acting as lookouts for one another,” SFPD wrote.
In broad daylight, the drone recorded one of the men discretely reach into victims’ pockets, purses, and backpacks, while two accomplices stretched their jackets out to form a screen. (The SFPD’s drone video can be viewed in the video player above.)
Undercover officers hauled Ruset, Constantine, and Matei away in handcuffs, recovered stolen property, and returned it to the victims.
A police drone captures thieves on camera in San Francisco’s Chinatown on May 16, 2026. (Image courtesy SFPD)
The next day, officers searched the trio’s Vallejo home and found thousands of dollars in cash, as well as additional stolen property.
“Criminals targeting Chinatown, or any other community in San Francisco, is simply unacceptable,” said Police Chief Derrick Lew.
Scammer targets woman with lost dog in San Jose
Ruset, Constantine, and Matei are scheduled to be arraigned Wednesday afternoon at the Hall of Justice courthouse.
Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KRON4.