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OAKLAND, Calif. (KPIX) — A West Oakland gas station was left in utter disarray after a wild robbery where thieves used a backhoe to tear out the storefront.
The ampm gas station at 889 W Grand Ave. is the latest Oakland business to be targeted by thieves. Workers said a group of people used a backhoe to break into the store, nearly killing one of them, and stole money from their ATM.
Brandon Barlow was born and raised in Oakland and goes to this gas station quite often.
“Oakland is doing too much. It’s a problem out here and it’s driving businesses away,” Barlow said. “These are things I haven’t seen since the ’90s.”
He said hearing about a group of people using a backhoe to break through the wall to steal cash from the ATM was disturbing.
“It’s not shocking in Oakland,” Barlow said. “I’ve seen worse with shootings, and all these materialistic things can be replaced. Lives can’t, so I’d rather see that than someone lying on the street.”
According to Oakland police, the robbery took place at 2:15 a.m. Monday, and police found windows broken and the vehicle still partially out of the front window.
The robbers had made off with an unknown amount of cash from the ATM.
The gas station is still open for business.
“Yeah, I was debating going to Chevron down the street, but I said no, this is my house, so I’m safe,” Barlow said.
The robbery is what many in the community are calling a trend among Oakland gas stations. On Oct. 31, KPIX spoke to the Chevron station off Redwood Road.
They had been hit twice in one week, with damage totaling $20,000. The owners said they no longer provide an ATM at their store because of past thefts.
KPIX reached out to the mayor’s office about what is being done about this ongoing issue. He was not available for an interview, but said the following in an email.
“Mayor Thao is focused on implementing a comprehensive approach to community safety that supports a strong police department, strengthens violence prevention programs and leverages technology.
During Mayor Thao’s first ten months in office, she laid the foundation for her approach and has taken steps to make Oakland safer:
Increase the number of police on the street:
• Invest in more police academy classes
• Restore foot police patrols throughout the city
• Work with the state to bring California Highway Patrol officers to Oakland to help address traffic safety on our busiest corridors.
Oakland has more police on the streets than at any time in the past two years.
Oakland is also strengthening violence prevention initiatives by placing violence interrupters and peer counselors in schools and neighborhoods throughout Oakland to engage and intervene before violence occurs.
Finally, Oakland is leveraging technology to disrupt and build cases against the organized crime networks that are causing much of the crime we’re experiencing across the region. Last month, the Oakland City Council approved Mayor Thao’s plan to install 300 automated license plate readers across Oakland to more quickly collect evidence, identify clues and identify vehicles, even those with license plates stolen or without plates”.
KPIX is still awaiting a response from Councilman Carroll Fife. In the meantime, Barlow believes the community can help, too.
“I think the community needs to rise up against all these people and start speaking up,” Barlow said. “I know the snits have stitches, but like right now, we have to protect these businesses. What are we going to get? We’re losing business left and right.”
OPD said it is still an open investigation and they need the community’s help and are asking anyone with information to call their robbery unit at 510-238-3951.
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