Smash-and-Grab Car Burglaries on Lakeshore

Bay City News Service—Several residents near Oakland's Lake Merritt awoke Thanksgiving morning to find that their car windows had been smashed and items inside stolen.

The smash-and-grab thefts occurred in the 1800 block of Lakeshore Avenue some time early Thursday morning as the car owners were sleeping, Oakland police Officer K. Quintela said.

Police started receiving reports of the burglaries around 8 a.m. Thanksgiving Day as people went out to their cars, she said.

Another woman in Oakland Thursday reported that someone pried open her car's trunk and snatched a laptop.

Quintela said the thefts should serve as a reminder to local residents to not leave valuables, particularly documents or forms of identification, in unattended vehicles.

Less valuable objects can entice a car burglar, too, the officer noted.

"Even if it's just a duffle bag with a pair of shoes ... it's going to make people tempted to break into your vehicle," she said.

Oakland police have beefed up patrols in the areas where the car thefts occurred.

"People are our best eyes and ears -- if people see someone suspicious or see a car that is casing, we want you to call in," Quintela said.

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