Burglary suspects target multiple Chevron gas stations in Oakland
Three separate Chevron gas stations In Oakland were targeted in a rash of overnight smash-and-grab burglaries early Tuesday morning.
The stations were located in the Montclair, Redwood Heights and Lakeshore neighborhoods. At each one, the suspects rammed a car through the front of the building.
Surveillance video from the Chevron on Moraga Ave. in Montclair showed the crime in progress. The location was the last of the three hit just before 4 a.m. Tuesday.
In the video, a car can be seen backing into the front entrance of the station's convenience store. Four people then run through the collapsed wall and start looking around.
Rick Draper is a manager with the Ken Betts Company, which runs the gas stations.
He said the stations have been hit multiple times this year. Even added security provided by bullards that were cemented into the ground outside the store hasn't stopped the burglaries.
"You can see with this one, they just backed in and bent it and went in at an angle," said Draper. "So we weren't impervious to this kind of break-in. We're going to make this look like an armory I suppose."
Draper said he believes the suspects were trying to steal their safe. They weren't able to get it.
Oakland police told CBS News Bay Area the other two Chevron stations were hit in the half hour before. In those instances, the suspects took off just as officers were arriving.
So far, there have been no arrests.
