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The saga of the Peter Rocha case comes full circle

July 6, 2022 by Bonnee Waldstein


A mentally ill homeless man who frequents Glen Park and spent a year in jail and a year in a locked psychiatric ward after an elderly resident died subsequent to an altercation with him, is back in the neighborhood.

On June 10, Peter Rocha was acquitted of murder in the May 2020 death of Leo Hainzl in Glen Canyon Park. Rocha, who often slept outside of St. John School on Chenery Street, had been a fixture in the neighborhood for several years prior to Hainzl’s death and was known to menace residents, particularly those with dogs.

Rocha was arrested and jailed after the incident. In September 2020 he was deemed mentally incompetent to stand trial and was ordered to be detained in a locked psychiatric facility for up to two years. Due to a shortage of available beds, compounded by COVID-19, Rocha remained in San Francisco county jail until he was transferred to a hospital in December 2020.

He was subsequently put on trial, acquitted, and released back into the community on June 11 without any resources to help him with his ongoing mental illness and homelessness. It should be noted that Rocha has declined services in the past.

For further background read a Glen Park News story about Hainzl published several days after he died, a column by the Chronicle’s Heather Knight, and a post by Glen Park News editor Elizabeth Weise.

According to District 8 Public Safety Liaison Dave Burke, since his release Rocha has been spotted in Glen Canyon Park by a few neighbors, one of whom said he yelled at her from a distance about her dog. Since he’s been acquitted, there’s nothing the police and legal system can do. However, Burke and Supervisor Mandelman said they are going to lean hard on the Department of Public Health to get Rocha some kind of mental health services and hopefully find him shelter away from our neighborhood.

At the monthly Ingleside Station Community Meeting on June 21, it was stated that there is no way to require Rocha to leave Glen Park because he is currently doing nothing illegal. SFPD and Supervisor Mandelman have been doing aggressive outreach to get mental health services to Rocha. SFPD Sgt. Christina O’Bannon and Dave Burke have both been to Glen Park looking for him.

Rocha has been seen by park employees who are familiar with him from two years ago. According to Glen Canyon Park recreation center staff, Rocha sleeps in the park, spends lots of time in the bathroom in the morning, and hangs out in the park the rest of the day. Sgt. O’Bannon, Captain Lew, and Burke are contacting the Veterans Administration (Rocha is a former Marine.), the SFPD Crisis Intervention Team and the Department of Public Health to get him help.

Apparently, he looks much the same as he did before, according to park employees.

Residents are advised to steer clear of Rocha if they see him. If he (or anyone else for that matter) acts in a violent or threatening manner, call 911.

Filed Under: Crime, Rafael Mandelman, SFPD, Uncategorized

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IMPORTANT UPCOMING DATES

Arlington Path Beautification
Saturday, July 19, 10 a.m. to noon
Meet at 300 Mateo (x Arlington) for an exciting day of weeding, watering, seed collecting.
Tools, gloves and good company provided.


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Every third Saturday 9:30 a.m to noon
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Glen Park Association is at Glen Park Greenway.
2 days ago
Glen Park Association

Saturday’s Glen Park Greenway Work Party is Cancelled.

“I’m very sorry to say that
we have cancelled our Work Party for this Saturday July 12, along with all organized volunteer activity on the Greenway until further notice.
As you may have read in the news, our fiscal sponsor, San Francisco Parks Alliance (SFPA), has shut itself down. Just as SFPA has shut itself down, the Greenway, as an organized part of SFPA, has also been “shut down.” We are busy looking for a suitable alternative fiscal sponsor that is willing to replace SFPA. That search is going well but it is a slow process. We had hoped to find temporary ways to enable the Greenway project to function responsibly as a community activity without a fiscal sponsor. Sadly, despite our best efforts and the help of many others in Glen Park, we have failed. That is why we must cancel our Saturday Work Party and discontinue future work parties and other organized volunteer activity on the Greenway (like weeding and watering) until further notice. We recognize that the Greenway is public open space and that the organizers of the Greenway project have no control over the activities of you or of anyone else on the Greenway. However, if you do venture onto the Greenway to satisfy your urge for outdoor recreation, please be aware that your activity is not in any way organized or sanctioned by the organizers of the Glen Park Greenway project. I’m well aware of the efforts that many of the
Greenway’s supporters are making to get the Greenway organized with a new fiscal sponsor and I’m confident that this will be arranged within weeks or perhaps a few months.
However long it takes, I will contact you with news of our progress.
Many thanks for all that you do for the Greenway.”

Nicholas Dewar, volunteer Project Director

#glenparkgreenway #glenparksf #sanfrancisco @rafaelmandelmand8 @danielluriesf @crosstowntrail
#crosstowntrail #sfparksalliance #publicspace #nature
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Wonder what’s stopping just organizing it separate from that non-profit. It seems like the volunteers largely come from Glen Park.

Glen Park Association is at Laidley Street SFO.
6 days ago
Glen Park Association

It was a beautiful day for the annual #july4th celebration on Laidley street!

📷: Photos courtesy of Michael Waldstein

#glenparksf #sanfrancisco #laidley
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It was a beautiful day for the annual #july4th celebration on Laidley street! 

📷: Photos courtesy of Michael Waldstein 

#glenparksf #sanfrancisco #laidley
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Coyote Yipps
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Open SF History
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Upper Noe Neighbors

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