OAKLAND — City and police leaders on Wednesday announced the arrests of four teenagers in a brazen string of burglaries and robberies targeting fast-food restaurants, gas stations and liquor stores across the city.
The announcement by Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao and her newly-hired police chief, Floyd Mitchell, capped an investigation into more than 30 break-ins and hold-ups, primarily in East Oakland. Along with announcing the juveniles’ arrests, Oakland police touted the early May arrest of a man accused of committing four separate home invasions in April in East Oakland’s Highland Park neighborhood.
“While we have seen an overall decrease in the number of violent crimes identified, our work is far from over,” said Mitchell, who began his tenure last month. He and other city officials pointed to weekly crime statistics released by the police department earleir this week showing declines in homicides, shootings, assaults, robberies, burglaries and thefts, compared to the same point in 2023.
“We will not let off that gas pedal,” Thao added at a press conference Wednesday afternoon. “The pressure is on, and we’re going to continue to put the pressure on to ensure that our community is safe.”
Oakland police did not identify the burglary and robbery suspects, citing their status as juveniles. They are suspected of stealing cash registers while targeting dozens of businesses, including at least a half-dozen on May 29 along Hegenberger Road, International Boulevard and MacArthur Boulevard, police said. They typically struck between 4:30 a.m. and 5:15 a.m.
The four teens, all 17 years old, were charged by the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office and are currently being held in juvenile hall.
On Tuesday, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced that California Highway Patrol officers had helped arrest hundreds of people — 440 in all — in the East Bay this year. While the governor’s announcement said those arrested are suspected of having ties to organized crime, carjackings and other alleged crimes, it offered no specifics on who was apprehended and what charges, if any, they are facing. It comes as part of a monthlong media blitz by his administration touting numerous efforts to reduce crime in Oakland.