Gun felon given bail for gun felonies armed himself with a gun and attempted a home invasion burglary – SF prosecutors

January 8, 2025

A felon given bail while awaiting trial for gun offenses, with a three decade record of gun possession in San Francisco, who prosecutors say then used a hammer to batter down the doors of an octogenarian woman’s home while armed again with a gun, will appear in court tomorrow for a preliminary hearing.

John Daniels was arrested in the early afternoon of December 10 2024 one block from the woman’s Sunnydale-district residence after making his escape. A search of Daniels, 52, turned up a hammer and a loaded .40 caliber Glock pistol, equipped with an extended magazine, in his waistband.

SFPD had been summoned by the senior’s daughter, whom her mother had called when the would-be home invader appeared on her front door video camera. Daniels then made his way to the back of the property and broke a wooden fence to secure access before using his hammer to smash through a first floor security gate, climbing the outside stairs, and smashing a second security gate at the top.

Daniels subsequently fled without gaining entry to the second floor rear door of the residence.

The lady resident, who spoke with police via a Cantonese interpreter, told officers that Daniels had been yelling during the incident but that she could not understand what he was saying.

Police quickly located Daniels, still carrying the hammer, one block from the woman’s home. After he had been positively identified by a ‘cold show’, officers searched him and discovered the firearm.

Prosecutors report that Daniels has adult felony convictions for ‘concealed firearm on convicted person’ in 1995, ‘assault with a firearm’ in 1997 and ‘possession of a firearm by a felon’ in 2008.

In June 2023, court records show, he was charged with a battery of firearms offenses including ‘carrying a loaded firearm’ and ‘discharging a firearm with gross negligence’ but was released within a month. He then failed to appear in October 2023 at a hearing to set a trial date and went on the lam until his arrest.

At a hearing on December 26 2024 San Francisco Superior Court Judge Judge Adrienne Rogers released Daniels on his own recognizance on the four felony and two misdemeanor charges arising from his most recent alleged crimes.