A woman from San Francisco is known for allegedly threatening children and their caretakers in parks across the city. On Monday, she pleaded not guilty in her first court appearance, according to a report.
The San Francisco Chronicle claimed that Kim Andrews, 37, has been charged with four different crimes over the past four years. In all of them, she is said to have approached and threatened children in public places, such as playgrounds.
The most recent case happened in Golden Gate Park on July 19. She went to court on Monday for it. Andrews is accused of yelling “Oh, a baby” and “You’re going to die” at a woman and her 18-month-old child as they walked along the park path. He was holding a lighter and an aerosol can of Lysol.
After the event, Andrews was charged with one count of endangering a child and one count of making illegal threats.
The Chronicle reported that Deputy Public Defender Tom McMahon told the court that Andrews had been in a hospital for 120 days after her most recent arrest to get medical care. In November, she was placed under a mental health conservatorship.
McMahon also said that he was worried that Andrews would not be able to get “the care and services she needs” if she stayed in jail for a long time. He said that Andrews has been taking medicine for her mental health problems.
Judge Kenneth Wine of the San Francisco Superior Court said that the stories of the alleged meetings were “horrific” and “extraordinarily threatening.” He also said that Andrews was “a danger to the public.”
Court records received by the newspaper show that Andrews had been arrested before on suspicion of battery, robbery, shoplifting, and criminal threats.
Prosecutors want to hold Andrews until her trial because they say she is a threat to public safety.
DA Brooke Jenkins said in a statement on Nov. 26 that her office would do everything it could to keep children safe in our city, after Andrews was charged in the July event. “We will fight in court for justice for this family who were out taking a walk in the park in the summer.” Putting children in danger and making threats against anyone will not be tolerated, especially against children and other weak targets.
