SAN FRANCISCO—Newly appointed District 4, or Sunset District, Supervisor Isabella “Beya” Alcaraz resigned on Nov. 13, just one week after she was sworn in to fill the vacancy of recalled Supervisor Joel Engardio.

Mayor Daniel Lurie, who appointed Alcaraz, said in a statement issued on the night of Nov. 13 that he had spoken to Alcaraz that night.

“She and I agreed, as we always have, that the Sunset deserves a supervisor who is fully focused on serving the community,” Lurie said.

“We also agreed that the new information about her conduct while running her small business, which I learned today, would be a significant distraction from that work. In our conversation, she told me she intends to resign as supervisor.”

Alcaraz, who was sworn in on Nov. 6, was under fire following media reports that the pet store she owned since 2019, The Animal Connection, was not in good condition. The San Francisco Standard was the first media outlet to report the story on Nov. 10.

A series of videos and photos taken in May by the new owner, Julia Baran, and shared with media outlets show signs of serious rodent infestation.

Baran told the Standard that she found hundreds of dead mice, cages covered in rodent urine, mounds of trash, and a freezer filled with dozens of deceased pets.

It took Baran months and thousands of dollars to clean up the shop to serve customers, according to the report.

On Nov. 13, Baran released to Mission Local text messages exchanged with Alcaraz in March, before the deal.

In the text conversations that show Alcaraz trying to persuade Baran to take over the pet store, Alcaraz wrote that she paid some of her former pet-shop workers “under the table,” according to Mission Local’s report, which was published hours before Lurie issued his statement.

Alcaraz first met Lurie at a night market in Sunset in September and told the mayor that she wanted to serve and why he should pick her.

“In Supervisor Alcaraz, I saw someone with deep roots in the Sunset who cares deeply about healing a divided community,” Lurie said in the statement. “I admire her commitment and willingness to raise her hand to serve, just as much as I respect her decision to step aside in the best interest of her neighborhood.

“I’ve heard again and again about the fraught politics that have divided District 4, and I believe the residents of this community deserve better. They should have a supervisor who can be fully dedicated to representing them, advocating for their families, and bringing people together.”

Sunset District voters recalled Engardio as supervisor in a Sept. 16 special election over his support of Prop K, which was approved in November 2024 by San Francisco voters and closed a segment of Upper Great Highway to private vehicles.

His time in office ended on Oct. 18, and the seat remained vacant until the appointment of Alcaraz.