A 53-year-old woman selling flowers on the street saw her workday cut short today when she was robbed near 54th Avenue and International Boulevard in East Oakland, according to police. Thieves took about $300 in cash along with five bouquets before taking off.
Officers later traced a vehicle allegedly involved in the crime to the 2000 block of 57th Avenue and arrested a 21-year-old man, who was booked into Santa Rita Jail and is being held in lieu of $100,000 bail. Authorities said they recovered some of the stolen bouquets, but a female suspect remains at large. The incident was the third robbery in as many days in Oakland targeting women, according to The Mercury News.
Vendors and Neighbors on Edge
The robbery has stirred fresh anxiety among street vendors and residents along International Boulevard, a stretch that has long struggled with thefts and robberies. Recent local coverage has highlighted a rise in daytime robberies that has many sellers wary and calling for more visible policing and community safety measures, as the San Francisco Chronicle reported.
Police Appeal and Next Steps
Oakland police are asking anyone with information about the robbery to call 510-238-3326 or reach out to their tip line. The case remains under investigation, and authorities have not released additional identifying details about the suspects, per The Mercury News.
