Man in wheelchair attacked by mugger in San Francisco’s SoMa

San Francisco police are investigating separate stabbings over the weekend in the Mission District and Chinatown that left two men wounded, including one with life-threatening injuries. San Francisco police are investigating separate stabbings over the weekend in the Mission District and Chinatown that left two men wounded, including one with life-threatening injuries. Photo: Spencer Platt / Getty Image, Getty Image Photo: Spencer Platt / Getty Image, Getty Image Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close Man in wheelchair attacked by mugger in San Francisco’s SoMa 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

Police were hunting Friday for a mugger who callously attacked a man in a wheelchair in San Francisco’s South of Market neighborhood and stole his cell phone, authorities said.

The 38-year-old victim was in his wheelchair near the intersection of Fifth and Mission streets when the robber accosted him at 3:45 p.m. Thursday, elbowed him in the head and snatched his cell phone, according to Officer Albie Esparza, a spokesman for the San Francisco Police Department.

The suspect bolted from the scene with the victim’s cell phone and remained on the loose Friday morning, police said.

The victim was not seriously injured, and refused medical treatment at the scene.

The attack happened about 13 hours after a deaf woman was beaten on a street in the Mission district. The woman was assaulted on the 3300 block of Cesar Chavez Street around 2:40 a.m. She was punched and kicked repeatedly, leaving her briefly unconscious and with a laceration to her chin, a contusion to her forehead and pain in her chest, police said.

Police later arrested Stephen Horton, of San Francisco, in connection with the attack on the deaf woman and booked him on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon and aggravated assault.

Hamed Aleaziz is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. E-mail: haleaziz@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @haleaziz