It is a thief’s paradise.
A shopping center just blocks from busy Oakland international airport has become a hotbed of car break-ins — with brazen smash-and-grab thieves targeting as many as 10 vehicles in an hour.
Oakland Airport Plaza — a strip mall on 98th Avenue that includes a restaurant and a Chevron gas station — has been a hot spot for robbers because it’s a quiet area where travelers often stop before heading out of town to catch their flights.
“They did it while people were still in the cars,” airport worker Jihad told the San Francisco Standard, adding that he had witnessed as many as 10 smash-and-grabs in an hour.
“Crazy,” he said.
Car wrecking in the Bay Area has become so prevalent that locals have a name for it: “Bipping and boosting.”
At the Oakland Airport Plaza, the break-ins have become so daring that the mall has installed steel barriers to block one of the exits so thieves can’t make a quick escape.
Surveillance video shows a man crawling behind a rented Buick Envision SUV, opening the trunk and stealing a backpack.KTVU
“From Monday and Thursday when the police are not here … there are all kinds of crimes,” plaza worker Antonio Patino told TV station KPIX.
Brazen thieves have robbed a vehicle while the driver is still in their car.
Tyson Wrensch was in his rental Buick SUV parked in the plaza earlier this year when a man stole his backpack.
Surveillance footage shows the thief pulling over a Cadillac, crawling behind an SUV, popping the trunk and swiping a bag.
It all took seconds, with the bandits quickly escaping with Wrensch’s laptop and passport.
“It’s one thing to go out and find your car broken into, and you’re upset,” Wrensch told local Fox station KTVU. “It is another thing to be in your car and has been broken into. I mean, how can anyone feel safe anymore?”
Oakland Police Department officials acknowledge the center has many issues.
Signs warning drivers not to leave valuables in vehicles are displayed throughout the mall.KTVU
“Unfortunately, the area in and around 98th Avenue and Bigge Street has historically seen car thefts,” an OPD spokesperson told The San Francisco Standard.
“The Oakland Police Department continues to address auto thefts throughout the city, with overtime details providing increased presence in high-target areas.”
Rental cars remain easy targets as travelers leave their luggage and other belongings inside, assuming it’s safe while they make a quick run to the gas station or one of the restaurants.
Signs warning shoppers not to leave valuables unattended are now posted throughout the plaza.
Hulya Yalcin said she stopped at the plaza for coffee at Starbucks on her way to Oakland International Airport in June.
Brazen thieves have robbed vehicles while drivers are still in their cars. San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images
As Yalcin and his family pulled into the plaza’s parking lot, a man walked up to their SUV.
She initially thought the man was trying to wash their windows, but noticed he was instead looking in the car mirror and left.
Seconds later, another SUV pulled into the lot and parked near Yalcin’s vehicle. He watched in horror as thieves smashed the back window of his SUV and stole his sister and nephew’s luggage.
“Four people, all with their faces covered,” Yalcin told local ABC7.
Airport Plaza, located a few blocks from Oakland International Airport, has seen a significant increase in car break-ins. Getty Images
“They broke the window and took all the luggage inside. … There are people who are diligent about going on vacation and I don’t want their vacation to turn into a nightmare like my sister.”
Auto thefts in the area where Airport Plaza is located have seen a 32% increase over last year — with 2,305 incidents reported so far this year, according to Oakland Police data obtained by The Post.
While Oakland Police officials say they are deploying more patrol cars to monitor the area, frustrated shoppers and those who work at the airport say it doesn’t do much to deter crime.
“It will not stop because [thieves] don’t mind,” one employee told the San Francisco Standard.
Categories: Trending
Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
