Nail salon ‘takeover’ suspects identified

Two men arrested after an armed robbery at a nail salon in San Francisco’s Pacific Heights neighborhood that turned into a vehicle pursuit through the South of Market neighborhood Friday night have been identified, a police spokesman said Monday.

The robbery was reported around 7:50 p.m. Friday at a salon in the 2700 block of Octavia Boulevard, police spokesman Officer Albie Esparza said. A group of suspects allegedly held up the nail salon with guns in a “takeover-style” robbery, according to Esparza.

The suspects fled in a car and police chased after them. The chase ended at Ninth and Mission streets after the suspect vehicle collided with another vehicle, Esparza said.

Three people suffered minor injures in the crash, he said. No one was hurt in the nail salon hold-up. An employee at the Sydney Nail Salon, located at 2758 Octavia St., said no one was injured in the incident and that the salon was open for business Monday.

The suspects fled after the crash, and police caught two of them. A third suspect was able to get away and remains at large today, Esparza said. The two men arrested have been identified as San Francisco residents Devonte Wilson, 21, and John Bivons, 19, Esparza said.

Both men were arrested on suspicion of 10 counts of robbery, conspiracy, evading police, eight counts of possession of stolen property, weapons violations and a gang enhancement.

The outstanding suspect is only described as a man between 20 and 30 years old and was seen wearing all black, Esparza said.

— Sasha Lekach, Bay City News