If you told most people that a thief was hitting the same San Francisco neighborhood over and over again, they’d probably assume catalytic converters, bikes, or maybe a car or two. What they probably wouldn’t guess is sewer grates. But that’s exactly what’s been happening in the Bernal Heights neighborhood, where a mystery man has been quietly lifting small sidewalk sewer vent covers and simply walking off with them.
Mission Local first reported on the months-long thefts of sewer grates, which were later covered by NBC Bay Area. The strange part isn’t just what’s being taken. It’s how little it’s worth. These grates are small metal sidewalk covers, the kind most people step over every day without a second thought, and scrap yards will only pay a few cents per pound for the metal. Nobody’s getting rich off this. Yet residents on streets like Mullen Avenue, Brewster Street, and Montcalm Street keep waking up to fresh holes in their sidewalks, and security cameras keep catching the same figure doing the same thing.
Multiple doorbell and Ring cameras have captured a slim man wearing a headlamp and carrying grocery bags, arriving around 3 a.m., clearing away leaves, loosening the grate, and moving on to the next one just seconds later. Neighbors have taken to calling him the “Great Drain Robber,” which honestly might be the best nickname a petty criminal has earned all year.
What’s made this whole situation even stranger is the city’s response. Rather than residents getting help tracking down the culprit, several have instead received official notices ordering them to replace the missing grates within 30 days, at their own expense.
The Thefts Keep Following A Pattern
According to Mission Local, the thefts began in early April and have continued in waves, with repeat visits to some of the same addresses in May and June. Homeowners have tried just about everything to stop it, including tamper-resistant screws, construction adhesive, epoxy, and even stamped addresses on the grates themselves.
One resident said the thief simply removed the special screws, took the grate anyway, and put the screws back like nothing happened. That takes a certain kind of dedication.
Homeowners Are Left Footing The Bill
Under San Francisco’s Public Works Code, property owners are technically responsible for sidewalk conditions in front of their homes, including missing sewer vent covers. Replacements run somewhere between ten and twenty dollars at local hardware stores, though the city has estimated repair costs closer to forty dollars per unit if it steps in itself.
If the notice isn’t addressed within 30 days, the city can make the repair and place a lien on the property.
Police Say Reports Have Been Made
The San Francisco Police Department has acknowledged reports of the thefts, though Mission Local reported officers said they had not identified a broader trend or speculated on why someone may be stealing the vent covers.
So far, no arrests have been announced in connection with the recent Bernal Heights cases. For now, residents are left checking their sidewalks each morning like it’s a new holiday tradition, just hoping their grate made it through the night.
Update: This article has been updated to include attribution and a link to Mission Local’s original reporting, which first documented the months-long pattern of sewer grate thefts in Bernal Heights.