A trip to celebrate a 21st birthday turned into a nightmare for a group of tourists who were robbed at gunpoint in Oakland's airport corridor, an area known for its troubles. On Monday afternoon, a group of four friends, including the son of Texas attorney Maxey Scherr, faced a harrowing situation when they were accosted by five men as they refueled their rental SUV at a 76 gas station, as reported by NBC Bay Area.
The assailants, who quickly exited an Infiniti, forcibly relieved the victims of their personal belongings, which included watches, luggage, jewelry, and car keys, according to Henry K. Lee. The incident has sparked outrage and a call for action. "They robbed the kids of everything that they had," Scherr stated in an interview with NBC Bay Area, as she offered up a $10,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and an additional $10,000 for evidence of any potential conspiracy with gas station employees.
They piled out of Infiniti G35/37 at @76 station at Hegenberger & Edgewater, robbing 5 in rented Ford Explorer at gunpoint of watches, luggage, jewelry, phones & wallets, per @ScherrLawFirm, offering $10K reward, as one victim is son of TX firm’s owner. @oaklandpoliceca pic.twitter.com/ZBgbtaEMSP
— Henry K. Lee (@henrykleeKTVU) February 2, 2024
The victims, who were visiting from Texas, did not anticipate the danger they would face in Oakland. Scherr expressed her dismay at the normalization of such crime in the city, saying, "It does not have to be the norm where everybody says, 'Oh, that's just Oakland. Don't gas in Oakland. You should know better.' We didn’t. We did not know better." The family's frustration was compounded by what they perceived to be a lackluster response from the city and the businesses involved.
According to Sam Mardaie, the gas station manager, the employees are innocent and have also been victims of threats by these criminals. One security guard even quit due to safety concerns. "I'm nowhere involved in this," Mardaie rapidly clarified. Despite an assertion by the mayor's office that crime is down by 40% in the area due to increased police patrols, Mardaie reported that the police presence isn't constant and fails to deter criminals at all times.
The alarming event has left the affected family demanding more than just reassurances. Scherr, unappeased by the status quo, asserted the need for more concrete actions from city leaders, stating in her NBC Bay Area interview, "We're not going to be silenced, we're not going to be told to be quiet, we're not going to have our lives put at risk or taken and say nothing."
