Oakland Mayor's Stolen SUV Recovered, One Arrested

- The stolen vehicle, a city-owned Ford Expedition, was not Mayor Sheng Thao's but belonged to the current mayor, Barbara Lee; it was recovered in Vallejo, approximately 25 miles from Oakland. - The theft occurred from a City Hall garage after the suspect allegedly broke into the mayor's office over the Presidents Day holiday weekend and stole the keys. Some reports indicate the suspect may have been camping out on the 11th floor of City Hall for several days prior to the theft. - This is not the first security incident involving a vehicle used by an Oakland mayor; the same Ford Expedition was broken into in 2025 while being used by then-interim Mayor Kevin Jenkins. Additionally, former Mayor Sheng Thao's personal vehicle was burglarized in 2023 near the Grand Lake Theater. - The incident highlights a persistent issue with vehicle theft in Oakland, a city with one of the highest rates of motor vehicle theft in the nation. In 2023, the city recorded the highest number of car thefts in over two decades. - Sheng Thao, the mayor mentioned in the original card, was recalled from office in November 2024 and was federally indicted in January 2025 in connection with a corruption probe. - The suspect in the theft of Mayor Lee's SUV was described as a young, thin man with long dirty blonde hair and was arrested in Vallejo.