San Francisco, California — Amid rising concerns over public safety, a woman named Melendez unleashed a violent attack on an FBI agent in downtown San Francisco. The incident occurred at the intersection of Golden Gate Avenue and Larkin Street, where Melendez verbally confronted the agent before physically assaulting him with a bag, according to court records.
Following the assault on the FBI agent, Melendez was convicted of battery in state court and sentenced to 18 days in jail, along with one year of probation. Despite the court’s orders to stay away from the courthouse, Melendez continued to display violent behavior, prompting prosecutors to argue for her detention.
In a subsequent incident on October 26, court records state that Melendez attempted to stab a leasing agent in her apartment building, located just minutes away from the Phillip Burton Federal Building. The leasing agent managed to escape, with Melendez in pursuit, slashing his car repeatedly and making threatening remarks.
Federal prosecutors have raised concerns about Melendez’s threat to public safety and have requested that she be detained. If convicted for the latest attack on the FBI agent, she could face up to eight years in prison and a hefty fine.
Currently held in Alameda County jail, Melendez’s case is part of a series of attacks against federal employees in downtown San Francisco. In a similar incident on June 8, a man named Akal Calvert-Damu Allen allegedly punched a female federal employee, breaking her nose. Allen is awaiting trial as court records indicate.
As concerns over safety in federal buildings escalate, high-level meetings were held in September at the Speaker Nancy Pelosi Federal Building, following reports of security lapses that prompted officials to advise workers to consider working from home. The incidents involving Melendez and Allen underscore the need for enhanced security measures to protect federal employees and the public in downtown San Francisco.