San Francisco to call on 'Batkid' to fight crime

SAN FRANCISCO — San Francisco is set to turn into Gotham City on Friday, as city officials help fulfill a 5-year-old leukemia patient's wish to be "Batkid."

The boy, Miles Scott, of Tulelake in far Northern California, will be called into service on Friday morning by San Francisco Police Chief Greg Suhr to help fight crime, The Greater Bay Area Make-A-Wish Foundation says.

He will rescue a woman from cable car tracks in Nob Hill and capture the Riddler in the act of robbing a downtown bank. A flash mob will then summon him for another caper: a kidnapping involving the Penguin. He will receive the key to the city from the mayor around 2 p.m.

Miles was diagnosed with leukemia when he was 18 months old, finished treatment in June and is now in remission, KGO-TV reported.

His father, Nick Scott, told the station he is thankful to Make-A-Wish and everyone else who made his son's wish possible.

"All the people at Make-A-Wish they've gone above and beyond for us, all the doctors, nurses and all the other parents that have to deal with the same thing we're going through. I hope they get a conclusion to their illnesses like we're getting," he said.

Make-A-Wish has fulfilled similar wishes in other cities, including Anaheim, where a child became Batman's sidekick, Robin, said Greater Bay Area Make-A-Wish spokeswoman Jen Wilson.

The San Francisco Chronicle, KGO-TV and thousands of volunteers are also getting in on the event. Miles will see a broadcast from KGO-TV in the morning in which Suhr calls for his help, the news station reported.

The Chronicle will distribute special-edition newspapers with the headline, "Batkid Saves City," in Union Square, where the flash mob will gather, the newspaper said. Someone has also donated a Lamborghini that will serve as the Batmobile, according to KGO-TV.

"This has turned into a full blown phenomenon," Suhr told reporters on Thursday.

He estimated there would be more than 7,000 volunteers urging Batkid on.