10 Juveniles Detained In BART Cellphone Grab-And-Go Thefts
OAKLAND (CBS SF) -- BART police announced Tuesday they have detained 10 juveniles in connection to a series of grab-and-go cell phone thefts on its commuter trains in San Francisco and Oakland.
Investigators said the arrests were all made during a crackdown on Tuesday at the West Oakland, 12th Street/Oakland City Center, and Powell Street stations.
The investigation is on-going and detectives were working to determine how many thefts the juveniles may be responsible for.
"We've seen a surge in cellphone thefts in San Francisco between the Glen Park and Powell Street stations," said Interim BART Police Chief Ed Alvarez. "We're deploying as many officers as we can, but we need help from our riders."
Alvarez said most cellphone thefts on BART are "crimes of opportunity."
"People should regularly look up from their devices, so they can see what's happening near them and avoid having their phones out when the doors open for their trains," he said.
Investigators said there was no indication any weapons were involved and no injuries were reported in connection with these crimes.
The juveniles that were detained range in age from 14 to 16 years old. Two suspects were booked into juvenile hall on suspicion of attempted robbery while the others who were detained were identified and released to their parents or guardians.
