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Oakland Police Investigating 3 Homicides, 32 Robberies Amid Recent Surge in Violent Crime

OAKLAND (CBS SF) -- Police in Oakland on Friday warned residents that the city saw a surge in violent crime this week, with the OPD investigating three new homicides and 32 robberies involving suspects as young as 11 years old in the space of 24 hours.

According to a release issued by the Oakland Police Department, homicide investigators have been following up on the deaths of three people killed in Oakland since Wednesday. Police said the homicides occurred within 24 hours and investigators are following up on leads.

"Three families are forever changed by this senseless gun violence," OPD Chief LeRonne L. Armstrong said in the release. "I'm committed to reducing the violence in Oakland with all available resources in my power. However, this isn't a mission for one person or one department. We rely on our partnership with community members to help bring an end to the violence."

Police also said that as of Thursday, 32 separate robberies were reported within the space of 24 hours. The crimes varied from armed robberies to carjackings across the city. Police noted that in multiple cases, suspects used the stolen vehicles to commit additional robberies.

Oakland police said many of the cases appeared to be crimes of opportunity based on the information provided by victims and witnesses. The suspects have been identified as two separate groups of females and males ranging in ages from 11-years-old to their early 20s.

Police said that investigations into the robberies indicate there are often two or more suspects in a vehicle looking for distracted victims. The driver usually remains with the vehicle as the other suspects confront the individual. Police said victims are frequently robbed and carjacked while sitting in their parked vehicle or just as they arrive at their destination.

Anyone with more information on the homicides are asked to call the Oakland Police Department's Homicide Section at (510) 238-3821 or the tip line at (510) 238-7950.

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