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2w ago

S.F. Crime-Spree Defendant Denies Role, Claims Evidence Was Altered as Trial Opens

Prosecutors point to surveillance footage, DNA evidence, plus stolen phones to link him to an eight-incident spree.

Sasanna Yee revisits the spot in the Visitacion Valley playground where her grandmother, Yik Oi Huang, was found beaten and unconscious. Huang later died from her injuries. The trial of the man prosecutors accused of attacking her began in Sept. 2025. 
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Overview

  • Representing himself, Keonte Gathron told jurors the prosecution’s videos were manipulated by artificial intelligence and said DNA evidence was mishandled.
  • He has pleaded not guilty to 25 counts tied to January 2019 robberies, carjackings, and the beating of 88-year-old Yik Oi Huang, a case that could bring a life sentence.
  • Prosecutors say the incidents clustered around Visitacion Valley and largely involved Asian minors or older adults with limited English, without hate-crime charges filed.
  • Investigators say two stolen iPhones were found in Gathron’s jacket at arrest along with gloves, and DNA from a carjacked vehicle strongly indicated his involvement.
  • Testimony began Tuesday with a carjacking victim, a San Francisco police officer, and a Golden Gate Bridge official, with additional witnesses set to follow.