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These women were violently robbed. In Oakland’s crime surge, they say it’s ‘like nobody really cares’
Jul 26, 2023
From behind, the woman recalled in an interview, she heard footsteps. She turned around. Inches away stood a figure in a ski mask, pointing a knife at her stomach. He lunged, grabbed her car’s key fob and clicked it to open the driver’s-side door. The woman frantically fought back.
Residents heard screams and emerged from their homes just as the attacker punched the woman’s shoulder and shoved her to the ground. He ripped two canvas bags from her arms, one with a laptop, the other filled with personal items. Crouched on the ground, dazed, she tried to call 911, but said she got disconnected.
The incident, shortly after 6:30 p.m. on Feb. 15, came in a year that has seen a significant increase in robberies in Oakland, with 1,880 reports as of July 16 — up 22% from the same period last year. In the first six months of the year, overall crime was up 15% citywide and had risen 42% since the first half of 2021, records show.
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