The release of a homeless man suspected of attacking a woman as she entered her Beale Street apartment building by Judge Christine Van Aken had drawn criticism from San Francisco Mayor London Breed and the San Francisco Police Officers Association among others.

The disturbing footage showed Paneez Kosarianfard being assaulted at the Watermark condos on the Embarcadero in San Francisco, as the homeless man pulled her to the ground and repeatedly struggled with her as she tried to get into the building.

On Friday, Vincent’s case was back in front of Van Aken but the suspect was excused from being the courtroom. This time, the judge decided Vincent should be required to wear a GPS ankle tracking monitor.

A San Fransisco Judge Releases Homeless Man That Viscously Attacked a Woman at Her Apartment 1

Van Aken defended her original ruling that Vincent should be released without any stipulations, saying her interest was balancing public safety and her conviction that not all people suffering from mental health need to be placed in jail.

She said she had decided to release Vincent on Tuesday based on his non-violent criminal history, which included one petty theft arrest in 2014, and under the condition that he receives treatment.

Van Aken said the first time she saw the video was on television while eating at a restaurant after she had ordered Vincent released.

“I was frankly alarmed at the level of violence I saw on the video. I was concerned about the conduct that I saw there,” Van Aken said in court.
She said the video altered her opinion on the public safety risk.

 

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