7 People Arrested In Oakland In Connection With Apple Store Robberies
OAKLAND (CBS SF) -- Seven people have been arrested in Oakland connection with recent robberies around the state, including recent thefts from Apple stores, authorities in the East Bay said Wednesday.
Alameda County Sheriff's spokesman Sgt. Ray Kelly said the seven suspects were arrested Tuesday and were booked at the county jail in connection with the robberies.
The sheriff's office did not specify whether any of the suspects were connected to any of the so-called "grab-and-go" robberies at Bay Area Apple stores.
Oakland police said Tuesday it "assisted another law enforcement agency by arresting multiple individuals wanted on criminal warrants."
"These arrests are in connection to large-scale crimes that were committed throughout the state of California," police said.
The department said it is working with multiple law enforcement agencies in various jurisdictions and their respective district attorneys' offices for review and charging.
Oakland police said the California Department of Justice will provide additional information on Thursday about the arrests and associated offenses.
Police across the Bay Area have been investigating the brazen daylight robberies targeting Apple stores and other cell phone shops that have been caught on camera.
On Tuesday afternoon, six to eight suspects stole multiple products from an Apple store in Emeryville, police said.
The theft occurred at about 12:20 p.m. at 5640 Bay St. in what police described as a grab-and-run theft.
Reza Hosseini witnessed the most recent theft at the Emeryville Apple store right across the street from his condo.
"At 1:30, three cars came and basically ransacked the whole Apple store," said Hosseini. "Why can't they catch whoever they are?"
As of Tuesday evening, police weren't sure how many products the suspects got away with.
Several thieves stole devices from the Apple store in the Santa Rosa Plaza on Sunday afternoon, Santa Rosa police said.
The thefts happened around 1:30 p.m., police said. The same store also was robbed on Aug. 29. Thieves have also targeted Apple stores in Roseville, Corte Madera and Walnut Creek.
Last month, five people from Fresno, Sacramento and the East Bay city of Antioch were arrested on suspicion of being an organized retail theft crew after a weekend heist at a Southern California Apple store led to an altercation with mall customers.
Three Antioch residents, 19-year-old Terry Timothy, 23-year-old Edward Benton and 24-year-old Donte Sims, were arrested in connection with heists in Thousand Oaks and Los Angeles County. Authorities also arrested 23-year-old Mona Shakyizia of Sacramento and 26-year-old Tynisha Noel of Fresno.
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