Suspect arrested in SF carjacking, abduction of kids

SAN FRANCISCO - San Francisco police arrested a suspect in a carjacking and abduction of two children over the weekend that led to an Amber Alert and intense search for the kids, police said Wednesday

Erlin Romero, 25, was arrested Tuesday and booked in San Francisco Jail on suspicion of kidnapping, robbery, conspiracy, unlawful taking of a vehicle and other crimes.

Offiers arrested Romero after serving a warrant at a home at Crisp Road and Palou Street around 11:20 a.m. 

The suspect has an outstanding probation violation charge for a stolen vehicle case from August, records show. He was wearing an ankle monitor when he was arrested, police said.

Police continued the search for a second suspect in the case.

The ordeal began 8:45 p.m. Saturday when a driver for DoorDash, Jeffrey Fang, got out of his Honda minivan to make a delivery on the 2100 block of Jackson Street, officials said.

Fang left the engine running while his 4-year-old daughter and 1-year-old son waited in the vehicle.

When he returned, a man was in the driver's seat. Fang told KTVU he tried to stop the man who then snatched his cell phone.

Fang followed the suspect to another vehicle where another man was waiting and they struggled for the phone for several blocks before letting go, he said. The driver, however, circled back and one of the suspects took off with his minivan and children.

The abduction led to a widespread search around the city, with the California Highway Patrol issuing an Amber Alert and officers doing a block-by-block search for the minivan.

Then around 1 a.m. Sunday, officers out of Bayview station found the van on the 1200 block of Fitzgerald Avenue with the children inside unharmed.

Fang was waiting to get his van out of impound on Wednesday. He told KTVU he was relieved police made an arrest.

Evan Sernoffsky is an investigative reporter for KTVU. Email Evan at evan.sernoffsky@foxtv.com and follow him on Twitter @EvanSernoffsky.