Oakland Police Say Masked Man Not Inside Rockridge CVS

Updated 12:23 p.m.

A Oakland Police Department SWAT team did not find an intruder wearing a black ski mask who entered the CVS Pharmacy at 5100 Broadway (in the Rockridge Shopping Center) early this morning, an OPD spokesman said.

"Review of closed circuit surveillance shows masked man walking to counter and then exiting rear doors prior to police arrival," according to the OPD. "Investigators are conducting preliminary investigation."

Normal business and access to the area should resume shortly, the OPD reported just after noon.

The incident started early this morning, shortly before CVS was scheduled to open to customers, when the man entered the store through the main entrance, which was open for arriving employees.

According to OPD media relations officer Johnna Watson, the man asked to see the manager. Employees and the manager immediately left the store through the main entrance ande notified police, she said.

Employees did not see a gun, but police are assuming the man may be armed, Watson said.

The portion of the parking lot closest to CVS was closed to cars and ringed with yellow crime tape. The shopping center's Starbucks, a few doors away from CVS, was closed by police, the Starbucks manager said.

The intruder was described as an African American man, about 5'6" to 5'8" tall, wearing a dark jacket and pants and the black ski mark, and carrying a backpack.

Police were uncertain whether the man remained in the store after 9 a.m. or whether he had escaped through a back door. An OPD SWAT team arrived about 9:15 a.m. and issued commands before searching the store.

Only a manager and a handful of employees had arrived at the store when the incident occurred, Watson said. No one was injured, she said.

A dozen or more CVS employees who arrived shortly afterwards waited near Starbucks, uncertain when they might be allowed to start work. Customers continued to shop at the nearby Safeway, and the Safeway portion of the parking lot remained open.