Police: SF man arrested for threatening Muslim woman

San Francisco resident Joshua Ruano, 27, was arrested March 17 on suspicion of threatening a Muslim woman in a downtown park, police said Thursday. San Francisco resident Joshua Ruano, 27, was arrested March 17 on suspicion of threatening a Muslim woman in a downtown park, police said Thursday. Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close Police: SF man arrested for threatening Muslim woman 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

A San Francisco man was arrested for allegedly threatening to shoot a Muslim woman playing with her young son in a downtown park, police said Thursday.

Joshua Ruano, 27, was arrested March 17 on suspicion of making criminal threats with a hate crime enhancement and other crimes, police said. Investigators said he used Islamophobic slurs while allegedly threatening to shoot the woman.

Ruano was booked into County Jail and released on bail, jail records show. The district attorney’s office did not immediately respond to inquiries about whether Ruano had been charged.

The woman was with her son in the children’s play area near the Moscone Convention Center at Fourth and Howard streets around 7:20 p.m. March 17 when Ruano threatened her, police said.

The woman fled with her son, and Ruano was arrested several blocks away a short time later, police said.

Arresting officers did not find a gun on Ruano, said Officer Grace Gatpandan, a police spokeswoman.

She said Ruano did not know the woman. “It does appear to be a random instance of hate crime violence,” Gatpandan said.

Michael Bodley is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: mbodley@sfchronicle.com. Twitter: @michael_bodley