A 58-year-old San Francisco resident named Benjamin Waters has had at least three restraining orders and several criminal charges filed against him for allegedly threatening, attacking and vandalizing the property of his gay and lesbian neighbors. He’ll attend a court hearing this next week for charges of battery. Waters has pleaded not guilty.
The Bay Area Reporter says three different neighbors claim to have had violent encounters with Waters. One 62-year-old neighbor, Michael Westerfield, says that Waters harasses him several times a week.
In one September 2018 incident, Waters reportedly drove his truck by Westerfield and said “F*cking f*gg*t. Hope you die of AIDS.” When Westerfield replied that he knew of Waters’ address, his history of harassing others and planned to file a restraining order against him, Waters allegedly got out of his truck, punched Westerfield in the face, kicked him and then threw Westerfield’s cell phone into the street.
“Westerfield went to the hospital where he was treated for a busted lip, bruising in his left fingers, and deep abrasions on his elbow,” writes The Bay Area Reporter.
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When Westerfield reported he incident to police, he says they claimed that they couldn’t do anything about it since there were no witnesses. Nevertheless, Westerfield has since filed four police reports against him and was granted a five-year restraining order against Waters.
Related: Neighbor sent male prostitutes, smeared human feces all over gay couple’s front door
But Westerfield isn’t the only neighbor alleging harassment. A 53-year-old former neighbor named Jeffrey Mead claims that Waters would aggressively drive his truck on the sidewalk while Mead walked his dog and would call Mead an “AIDS f*gg*t.” Mead says Waters even once threatened him by pulling out a knife and making stabbing motions in his direction.
Mead claims police didn’t take the incident seriously at first, suggesting that Waters was “just drunk.” Regardless, police eventually arrested Waters. Mead says he pled guilty for a reduced sentence and served no jail time.
A 40-year-old woman named Kelley Keery also claims that Waters harassed her for over four years when she lived in the neighborhood. “He would call me a fat f*cking d*ke and say ‘I am going to f*cking kill you.’ He also threatened my dog,” Keery said.
Keery says she regularly received police escorts to walk her into her home. She also obtained a twice-renewed restraining order against Waters and had him arrested “at least a dozen times,” she says.
WindsorOntario
Where’s the picture of this guy so we can see who to look out for?
ORPHEUS
Agreed.—Know thy Enemy. And, the first step in this endeavor, is to know what he looks like. If for no other reason, than to prove a presentation of accurate and balanced reporting. Also, as a caveat, if one may be in the market for housing, and the real-estate agent “conveniently” forgets to inform you of your potential neighbor[s].
SquirrelsandRabbits
Benjamin Waters is 6’tall, about 210 lbs, grey/balding, wears glasses. He sometimes walks his German Shepard near Corona Heights Park At Roosevelt x Museum Way.
iamru2
Just another day in SF, sadly! Anyone who lives here would not be surprised by this story!
Doug
Actually, I live in SF, and I’m surprised this guy has been able to get away with this for four years. I’d love to give this creep a piece of my mind. I hope the judge locks him up for awhile.
hnwalters00
I believe that the author called Waters Weserfield twice.
Daniel Villarreal
Ah! Thank you for catching my mistake. I have corrected the article.
DCguy
What a shock, the police don’t care when the assaults are against LGBT people.
ORPHEUS
Your accurate cynicism is “dripping all over the proverbial floor”, and I sympathize with your view. I–too–had noticed the apathetic undercurrent of the police proving inaction regarding these incidents.—- Until an escalation of people expecting them to commit to duty, actually led unto some [albeit] late-coming arrests.
Brian
If you feel that way against gay people, why on Earth would you live in San Francisco?
Chrisk
Is San Francisco even gay anymore? You either have to have been there for many years or wealthy to live there anymore.
iamru2
SF is not the accepting Mecca many believe it to be. I have seen more hate in this city then any other I have lived in. Iv been called Fagg*t here more than once and never had been called that name anywhere else in my life. SF can be a great city but there is a very strange dark side to it as well.
Hillers
The police couldn’t do anything because there were no witnesses? Not even file a report?
I mean, SF is not a safe haven for homophobes.
SquirrelsandRabbits
Police initially did not even file a Police Report. I emailed the Chief of the Park Station Police, and police returned to take an official Police Report. That officer decided there was not evidence of a crime (despite my (ER treatment). I emailed the Chief of Park Station again, and soon I had a second Investigator. He did some stuff, supposedly sent the info to the DA, then I heard nothing for months. I emailed the Chief of Park Station a third time and immediately got a third Investigator. She was very helpful and empathetic. She sent what she had to the DA. Now Mr Waters is charged with only assault, but not even with Hate Crime enhancements. How many victims must a serial gay basher rack up before being convicted of a Hate Crime???
ORPHEUS
Although this vicious neighbor, (rather, his attorney) would probably argue upon the grounds of, “Freedom of Speech”, his client’s case could be dismantled and led unto a more certain conviction if he were prosecuted beneath the new federal-statutes and aegis of, The Office Of Homeland Security. The charge, of course, would be, “Domestic-Terrorism”. He, quite clearly, has proven a history of it.
Heywood Jablowme
There are security cameras everywhere now in any big city. No excuse for the police to say “no witnesses.”
SquirrelsandRabbits
The assault described above happened 3 doors down Museum Way from the crosswalk that goes to to Corona Heights Park at Roosevelt. The place had no security camera. The places to the immediate right and left do not have security cameras. There are no cameras across the street, because that is the Park. No people saw the actual attack to see that Benjamin Waters attacked me. I never laid a hand on him.
ORPHEUS
ALWAYS document badge-numbers and names of the police with which you deal; Regarding these and other cases. Keep a notebook with contemporaneously-made notes of every dealing and incident. [Meaning, written down on the very day of their having occurred.] Such is a powerful-and-convincing document within a potential court case, that could lead to your victory. Moreover, the police make themselves vulnerable to a lawsuit, because to state that they could “do nothing” in a case of violence to you, because there were “no witnesses”, when YOU, YOURSELF are the prime “witness” to the crime, is side-stepping nonsense on behalf of the police. What–for example–of the issue of rape?—According to police pseudo-“logic”, it must not have happened, because there were “no witnesses” to it having happened to you?! Such, of course, is police-procedural nonsense. It is aligned to their saying that they could do nothing about pursuing a lead that you would–theoretically–provide to them; regarding a case of murder, because you did not personally witness the suspect killing the theoretical individual. Thus, they have no reason to pursue the lead, because, according to their flawed-priority, the case–therefore–must not have happened. But the facts of a hypothetical dead-body; in the case of murder, or a hypothetical violated-body in a case of rape, and–in this actual case–a battered body in this context of violence, should be treated as being more than enough for officers to pursue their sworn duty “to serve and to protect”.
SquirrelsandRabbits
Benjamin Waters is a habitable lire. He told responding police that I had attacked Him!!! He had one small cut on one hand. I had to go to the ER. He lied about virtually everything at the Restraining Order Hearing. The judge ruled in my favor and said that Waters’ testimony was ‘entirely not credible’.
SquirrelsandRabbits
I have been documenting every event with all the info you mention. Great idea!
whateverokok
You cannot be a witness in your own case I don’t believe. It’s an issue of credibility and isn’t strong evidence that will hold up in court. This has been brought many times on tv shows and what not. Even The Golden Girls did it. At this point, the case is a he said/she said incident. Without any other witness police really can’t do anything. They got to work other cases with stronger evidence to back them up. Otherwise, they’re wasting their time. If there was video footage that would be different. Sadly, there isn’t much police can do. You don’t want them chasing every lead or incident somebody reports without actual witness or footage to back it up. They don’t have the manpower and i’m not wanting to pay their salary to do that either.
winemaker
Sad to say, just another ho hum day in the overpriced, dirty, crime ridden and lawless ‘doo doo’ capital of the USA, San Francisco. And the really sad thing, the idiots here who evidently never have their fill of socialism, bums, crime, dirt, crappy and failing city infrastructure,, exploding homeless ‘tent’ camps along with some of the highest costs of living and general demise keep voting for the ultra liberals, progressives, wingnuts or whatever you want to call them that are running this former California jewel into the ground due to their ineptitude, fiscal incompetence and laissez faire and ‘live and let live attitude. This from a long term gay resident and native! .
Hdtex
You sound miserable. How do you EVER find the will to go on??? Maybe you’d be more comfortable in Tulsa. This from a long term gay resident and native!
Aires the Ram
And….they still don’t understand why our Forefathers wrote the 2nd Amendment……amazing. 911 isn’t going to save you from an as&^s ho*le like this, it’s not their job. Their job is to tag and bag you, and then figure out who did it. And they keep voting for the likes of Newsome, DiFi, Pelosi, Harris, and the whole lot of others in CA who are doing their level best to make CA into a third world State. And then, when the “voters” have had enough of this crap, the high real estate and rent prices, the crime, the illegals, they move to other States, and then what happens when they go to the ballot box in their new States???? Well, they vote for the same kind of candidates with the same political philosophies that got California in the mess it is in, in the first place. Real freaking smart, dontcha think?
SquirrelsandRabbits
I am the current and 3rd victim in this case. I’m pushing for a Hate Crime conviction this time. Any help is appreciated.
bluelibra1961
what happened to the court case. I know this guy. he is an alcoholic, owns guns and is a threat to society. Someone should warrant a house search for fire arms
he lives at 10 museum way
bluelibra1961
Can someone please let me know what happened in the case
I know this guy!!!!!