Oakland 7-Eleven cashier quits after being robbed twice in 24 hours
OAKLAND — A cashier at a 7-Eleven near Lake Merritt said he's walking away from his job after being the victim of two violent robberies in just 24 hours.
Bishnu Bhandari, who had been working the overnight shift at the 7-Eleven on Grand Avenue for three months, said he no longer feels safe. The store was hit twice this week — once on Thursday and again early Friday morning.
"They came inside directly and they started hitting me," Bhandari recalled of Friday's attack, which happened around 12:30 a.m. "[They hit me] on my head. Then they forced me to open the cash register."
Surveillance footage reviewed by police showed five to six suspects using a rock to smash through the store's glass door before rushing inside. Bhandari said they stole between $300 and $400 in cash, along with merchandise.
"I was scared. I didn't know what was happening," he said, still nursing a headache hours after the attack.
The previous morning, the same store had been targeted by thieves who rammed a stolen vehicle into the front of the building. Bhandari was on duty during that robbery as well.
"I ran to the office. After that, I locked the door from inside," he said.
The Nepali immigrant came to Oakland a year and a half ago, hoping for a better life. He earned $17 an hour — just slightly above minimum wage — at the store.
"It's too dangerous, too risky," Bhandari said. He gave a statement to police and then told his manager he was quitting.
The Oakland Police Department said the incidents are part of a broader surge in convenience store crimes this week. Investigators believe at least three separate crews have been targeting gas stations and corner stores throughout the city and neighboring towns. Four suspects from one group were arrested on Thursday, but two other groups remain at large.
"We're going to track you down. We're going to arrest you. We're going to recover the [surveillance] video. We're going to get the evidence," said Oakland Police Assistant Chief James Beere. "And now, we're working with the district attorney's office. And people will be held accountable."
The robberies came just as Oakland police announced a significant drop in crime citywide. According to the department, robberies are down 44% and burglaries are down 36%.
But Beere acknowledged that statistics don't tell the whole story.
"If you're the victim of a crime, no matter what the trend is and if crime is going down, it's going to be very hard for you to feel safe," he said.
Many customers at the Grand Avenue 7-Eleven echoed that sentiment and didn't believe the crime numbers.
"People are fed up and they're just not reporting it," said customer Holly Brooks. "It does kind of take a long time for the police to come for things like this. You have to be dying for the police to come in Oakland."
On Friday, Bhandari was already back at work — this time at his second job at a food truck. He said he's thankful to have survived the robberies and is now looking for new work.
"I'm okay for now. It's my luck," he said.
Oakland police have not yet made any arrests in Friday's robbery and are asking anyone with information to come forward.
