On a recent visit, CNN correspondent Kyung Lah found herself unwittingly part of her own story when her empty rental car was targeted in a wave of smash-and-grab auto burglaries plaguing Oakland. A startling illustration of the soaring crime in California's Bay Area, Lah reported the auto break-in as the third she's personally experienced there; this time, however, there was no loot for the thieves to walk away with, as she had learned her lesson and left no belongings in the car via the San Francisco Chronicle.
I’m #Oakland, shooting a story about crime. Got broken into again— but this time our car was completely empty. We were across the street— this happened in seconds. pic.twitter.com/nsFRhxWD7J
— Kyung Lah (@KyungLahCNN) August 2, 2023
According to Lah, all it took was seconds for her rental vehicle to become another casualty in a crime spree, despite her team being only across the street.
These unsettling auto burglaries aren't isolated incidents – they're part of a much larger picture that highlights the situation in Oakland. Auto burglaries around the city have become so rampant that one rental car employee told Lah 27 of the 250 cars returned on Tuesday had been broken into. That's almost 11% of vehicles returned in just one day, falling prey to the relentless, wide-scale crime wave via the San Francisco Chronicle.
Tourists heading to the Oakland International Airport or the nearby Oakland Airport Plaza shopping center aren't safe either, with crime rates skyrocketing in these areas as well. Antonio Patino, a shopping center worker, reported witnessing as many as 10 vehicle break-ins a day in the parking lot, with six cars targeted in just 15 minutes on one occasion from KPIX. These crimes are occurring in broad daylight, often with victims nearby, speaking volumes about the boldness of the thieves involved.
Not surprisingly, the frustration felt by Oakland residents is mounting, with more than 200 angry citizens and business owners attending a community meeting to discuss the widespread lawlessness menacing their city. Allegra Rush told The Chronicle, an employee at a local clothing store, revealed her dismay at the crime outbreak, stating, "There have been times that I looked and every car down the street had a window smashed".
