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San Francisco Chronicle
6 days ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
S.F. coffee scion who tried to run for mayor arrested in bizarre incident — accused of ramming Tesla guard
A Bay Area entrepreneur, photographer, aspiring politician and heir to a historic San Francisco coffee company fortune chased down a Tesla security guard in a Land Rover, rammed another occupied car and fled from Fremont police in a bizarre incident last Thursday, authorities allege. Austin Hills, 45, is charged with two counts of assault with a deadly weapon and one count of evading an officer in connection with the alleged attack, according to Alameda County Superior Court records. At the time of his arrest, he allegedly had items including a pressure cooker, a gas mask, a drone and ammunition in his SUV. Hills, who has lived in San Francisco and Napa and according to court records suffers from bipolar disorder, had aspirations to run for San Francisco mayor last year and district attorney in 2022, despite not being a lawyer. While he took the initial steps to compete in both races, he did not appear on the ballot for either contest. Hills' great-grandfather and great-uncle founded Hills Bros. Coffee in the late 1800s, selling coffee at a shop on Harrison Street. Nestle, Sara Lee and eventually Massimo Zanetti purchased the company as it expanded nationwide. The prominent Hills Bros. Coffee sign can be seen along the Embarcadero waterfront. A Tesla security employee told Fremont police that he was taking his lunch break in a blue Tesla Model X around 3:15 a.m. last Thursday when a man driving a Land Rover 'made an unusual hand gesture,' then began to tailgate him, according to a probable cause declaration underlying the charges. The Land Rover driver, who police later identified as Hills, allegedly turned off his headlights and repeatedly tried to rear-end the Tesla 'at high speeds,' records show. The security guard said he drove to the Tesla warehouse on Page Avenue, where Hills pursued him into the parking lot, trying to ram and cut off the other car. Hills then allegedly rammed a parked and occupied Kia Forte on Page Avenue three times before fleeing onto Kato Road, where Fremont police located him. Authorities said Hills, wearing glasses and a grey sport jacket, ignored the officers and fled onto Interstate 680. Police authorized a pursuit but lost sight of the Land Rover after it turned off its lights and 'began driving erratically at a high rate of speed,' according to court records. Napa officers arrested Hills around 7:20 a.m. the same morning at Napa police headquarters, according to court records, before Fremont police took custody of him and his Land Rover. Investigators found multiple cell phones, laptops, a metal pressure cooker, a gas mask, a drone, 'extended shell casings,' gas cans and alcohol in the Land Rover, according to court records. According to the investigators, Hills admitted he was the driver of the Land Rover, but claimed the Tesla driver was driving erratically and that he collided with another vehicle that blocked him in. Police said Hills told investigators he had no recollection of ramming any other vehicles or fleeing from police, attributing his lack of memory to 'stress.' Police said he 'showed no remorse for his actions,' according to records. Hills was being held at Santa Rita Jail. He was scheduled to be arraigned Monday. A Facebook page for Hills describes him as the owner of San Francisco Supercars, an enterprise he founded in 2009 to 'share his love for cars with all,' by renting out rare 'exotic' sports cars, according to the company's Yelp page. A home address listed for Hills in court records is for Dos Colinas Events, a wedding venue in Napa wine country. Hills is the eldest son of Austin E. Hills, a San Francisco socialite and the co-founder and chairman of the board of Grgich Hills Estate, a family-owned winery in Napa Valley. 'He has a checkered employment history, having been unemployed far longer than employed throughout his adult life,' his father wrote in a 2020 court filing. Last week, San Francisco transportation officials towed away a Tesla registered to the Austin Edward Hills Trust that had been abandoned at Alta Plaza Park. Who parked the car there, and why, remained a mystery as of Monday. No one answered the doorbell at a Pacific Heights residence associated with the younger Austin Hills on Monday afternoon, a 9-bedroom, 9.5-bath home across the street from the section of the park where the blue Model S Tesla was found parked. Hills' neighbors declined to comment. Hills has an 'extensive and violent criminal history' that has included arrests on suspicion of arson, assault with a deadly weapon and firearms-related violations, Alameda County prosecutors said in court records. Court records show Hills has 11 criminal cases in San Francisco stemming from arrests spanning from 2009 through last summer. His most recent case, from July 2024, was referred to mental health diversion. Hills also has a long history of trying to run for office. In 2016, he wrote on Facebook, 'DON'T FORGET TO REGISTER TO VOTE BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE. I AM OFFICIALLY REGISTERED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION AS AN INDEPENDENT WRITE IN CANDIDATE!!!!'
Yahoo
10-06-2025
- Yahoo
‘Tragic loss': Community mourns 8-year-old girl killed in head-on crash
A school in Burke County is taking donations for the family of an 8-year-old who was killed in a head-on crash along Highway 70 on Sunday. State troopers told Channel 9's Dave Faherty the girl's father, Jacob Ferguson, is still in the hospital in critical condition. ALSO READ >> 8-year-old killed in Burke County crash Community members have left stuffed animals and flowers for the family of the young girl. The little girls school, New Dimensions, posted about the 'tragic loss' and that they'll be taking up donations for the family. Faherty learned that other businesses in Burke County also plan on taking up donations for the family. Tommy Carpenter, a pastor who lives nearby, told Channel 9 that he watched the girls grow up, playing in the yard, and prays for the family. The accident happened after a pickup truck crossed the center line striking a Kia Forte with the father and daughter inside, officials said. Investigators believe impairment was a contributing factor in the crash, and charges are pending against the driver of that truck. VIDEO: 'Just unreal': Country music star, non-profit gift house to family who lost home in Helene
Yahoo
09-06-2025
- Yahoo
Texas DPS IDs News Mexico woman killed in Gaines County crash with tractor-trailer
Texas authorities have identified a New Mexico woman who was killed in a two-vehicle crash Saturday evening in Gaines County. Miranda Mariah Greene, a 31-year-old from Artesia, New Mexico, was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash that was reported around 7:30 p.m. Saturday on U.S. Highway 62 near County Road 213 in Gaines County, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety. Investigators believe Greene was driving a 2019 Kia Forte east in the left lane of U.S. 62 when she crashed into the back of a 2012 Peterbilt and trailer that were also eastbound in the left lane of U.S. 62. The tractor-trailer was attempting to make a left turn onto CR 213. The DPS cited the Kia driver's failure to control speed as a factor in the crash. The tractor-trailer's driver, a 55-year-old man from Seminole, was not injured. Both people were wearing seatbelts. Other factors contributing to the crash were not immediately clear as the investigation is ongoing. This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Texas DPS IDs News Mexico woman killed in Gaines County crash
Yahoo
09-06-2025
- Yahoo
Texas DPS IDs News Mexico woman killed in Gaines County crash with tractor-trailer
Texas authorities have identified a New Mexico woman who was killed in a two-vehicle crash Saturday evening in Gaines County. Miranda Mariah Greene, a 31-year-old from Artesia, New Mexico, was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash that was reported around 7:30 p.m. Saturday on U.S. Highway 62 near County Road 213 in Gaines County, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety. Investigators believe Greene was driving a 2019 Kia Forte east in the left lane of U.S. 62 when she crashed into the back of a 2012 Peterbilt and trailer that were also eastbound in the left lane of U.S. 62. The tractor-trailer was attempting to make a left turn onto CR 213. The DPS cited the Kia driver's failure to control speed as a factor in the crash. The tractor-trailer's driver, a 55-year-old man from Seminole, was not injured. Both people were wearing seatbelts. Other factors contributing to the crash were not immediately clear as the investigation is ongoing. This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Texas DPS IDs News Mexico woman killed in Gaines County crash
Yahoo
09-06-2025
- Yahoo
DPS: Rear-end collision with semi leaves woman dead in Gaines County
GAINES COUNTY, Texas (KMID/KPEJ)- A 31-year-old woman from Artesia, New Mexico, was killed in a two-vehicle crash Saturday evening in Gaines County, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety. According to official reports, the crash occurred around 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, June 7, at the intersection of US Highway 62 and County Road 213. Preliminary information from DPS investigators indicates that a 2012 Peterbilt truck, towing a trailer, was traveling eastbound in the left lane of US 62 when it began preparing to turn left onto CR 213. A 2019 Kia Forte, also traveling eastbound behind the truck in the same lane, failed to control its speed and collided with the rear of the trailer, DPS said. The driver of the Kia, identified as Miranda Mariah Greene, 31, of Artesia, was pronounced dead at the scene. She was reportedly wearing a seatbelt at the time of the crash. No injuries were reported for the driver of the Peterbilt, identified as 55-year-old Klass Peters Banman of Seminole. The investigation remains ongoing. No additional details have been released. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
