9 children aged 12 to 17 arrested in dozens of Oakland robberies
OAKLAND -- Nine juveniles ages 12 to 17 years old have been arrested as suspects nearly three dozen robberies in Oakland this year alone.
Oakland Police said in a press statement Tuesday that officers spotted a vehicle on Sunday wanted in connection with one of the robberies and tracked it to the 100 block of 14th Street just west of Lake Merritt.
The officers observed multiple occupants exit the vehicle and walk into a nearby establishment. When officers arrived at the location, the vehicle took off at a high rate of speed, police said.
The vehicle was followed by the department's helicopter for about a mile to the area of 6th Ave. and E. 15th St. where four people exited the vehicle and ran away. Following a brief foot chase, all four were taken into custody, police said.
Another five people were arrested without incident at the 14th St. location. Police said the eight of the nine juvenile suspects (six boys, three girls) are Oakland residents.
According to the press statement, the nine juveniles were connected to 35 robberies this year in the following neighborhoods: Acorn, Adams Point, Bella Vista, Chinatown, Fruitvale, Grand Lake, Ivy Hill, Longfellow, Mosswood, Northgate, Rockridge, Temescal, Trestle Glen, and Uptown.
Police said robbery crews are brazenly victimizing individuals at alarming rates across the city, and there has been a 7% increase in robberies over this same time last year.
The department urged anyone with information about any of the cases to contact the Robbery Section at (510) 238-3326.
