Castro Walgreens manager convicted of assault in alleged shoplifting case

The manager at a Castro neighborhood Walgreens was convicted Monday by a San Francisco jury of assault with force likely to produce great bodily injury following a trial. The incident occurred in March as the manager was attempting to stop an alleged shoplifter.

Guang Hong, 46, is expected to be sentenced August 15, according to San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins.

As the Bay Area Reporter previously reported, a Walgreens employee and an alleged thief were arrested early March 19 after police officers patrolling near the Walgreens on Castro Street at 18th Street "were flagged down regarding a stabbing." The Walgreens location at 498 Castro Street is the only one in the city that's open 24 hours.

The employee turned out to be Hong, per the DA’s office.

"Officers met with a male subject who appeared to be suffering from injuries associated with a possible assault," Public Information Officer Robert Rueca stated at the time. "Officers rendered aid and requested paramedics to the scene."

The officers discovered that the man who'd flagged them down had been "observed fleeing from a store with unpaid store merchandise."

"The male subject and an employee engaged in a verbal confrontation outside of the business that turned into a physical altercation," Rueca continued. "The employee declined medical attention at the time."

The SFPD arrested Larry Whitlock, 30, on charges of battery and petty theft, and he was transported to the hospital for what Rueca described as "non-life-threatening injuries." Officers also arrested Hong for assault with a deadly weapon.

The San Francisco District Attorney’s office stated to the B.A.R. that Whitlock’s charges are still pending after announcing via a news release it had secured a conviction against Hong.

“I would like to thank the jury for their service in this trial,” Jenkins stated. “Although I understand the frustration and anger in the community, violence is unacceptable and only makes matters worse. My office takes all crime seriously and is working in partnership with law enforcement to ensure those who engage in criminal behavior are held accountable and face consequences to protect the safety of the public and to restore the public’s faith in the criminal justice system and the rule of law.”

Walgreens didn’t immediately return a request for comment as to whether Hong is still the manager of the 498 Castro Street location. Hong is currently out of custody, according to the DA’s office.

The release stated that as Whitlock left the Walgreens with a bottle of shampoo, Hong was alerted by a security guard and “noticed that the victim was still outside the store.”

“He confronted the victim again, shouting and pointing with his keys,” the release continued. “He then charged at the victim and punched him in the face with a key protruding from his knuckles. Mr. Hong then punched the victim two more times with his keys in his hand and kicked the victim as he fell to the ground.”

Assistant District Attorney Max Draskovich tried the case with assistance from District Attorney Investigators Jesus Mendoza, Ted Martin, and Marisa Sullivan.

“Store theft is an important issue, but it does not justify an assault that goes beyond self-defense,” Draskovich stated. “Mr. Hong's response went far beyond self-defense, and we are thankful that the jury rightly held him accountable. Justice means upholding the law for everyone, on both sides of the incident.”

Hong was represented by the San Francisco Public Defender's office, which argued he was acting in self-defense.

"Mr. Hong was a longtime and extremely hardworking Walgreens employee who was working the graveyard shift on the night in question, and he fought in self-defense after attempting to recover stolen items from the alleged victim," stated Deputy Public Defender Megan Votaw, who’s Hong's attorney. "During the interactions that Mr. Hong and the alleged victim had that night, the alleged victim threw a bottle at Mr. Hong, repeatedly hurled offensive insults – that Mr. Hong interpreted as threats – and came toward him with a fighting posture. Mr. Hong was not holding his keys between his fingers when he punched the alleged victim."

The incident was one of a number of violent incidents in the spring, including assaults near Jane Warner Plaza and the Castro Theatre, of which those cases are still pending. These led to increased police patrols in the neighborhood and a town hall, which happened last week.

Updated, 7/15/25: This article has been updated with comments from Mr. Hong's attorney.