Minors Arrested In East Bay Carjacking Spree
- Several minors allegedly carried out a multi-day carjacking and armed robbery spree in the East Bay. - Police say they pistol-whipped at least one victim and arrested multiple juvenile suspects. - Arrests aim to curb a recent spike in violent robberies across Alameda County, police said. (patch.com)
Four juveniles were arrested in Oakland after police linked them to a string of armed robberies and at least one carjacking in East Oakland. (oaklandca.gov) Oakland police said the crimes happened between about 9:45 p.m. on Sunday, April 19, and 12:15 a.m. on Monday, April 20, 2026. Officers later found a vehicle that had been taken in a recent armed carjacking and tried to stop it. (kron4.com) Police said the driver did not yield, and the vehicle was later found near Kingsland Place and Morcom Avenue after several juveniles ran. Officers caught four suspects after a brief foot pursuit; police said two were from Oakland, one from Hayward, and one from Richmond. (oaklandca.gov) Investigators said the group was tied to multiple crimes in East Oakland, including armed robberies and a pistol-whipping. During the arrests, officers recovered two loaded, unregistered guns, and police said both had devices that converted them into fully automatic weapons. (oaklandca.gov) The arrests landed as Oakland police were reporting a broad drop in major crime in early 2026, even as robbery and carjacking remained central targets for enforcement. The department said reported serious crime in Oakland fell nearly 30% from January through March compared with the same period in 2025. (localnewsmatters.org) State officials have kept extra California Highway Patrol officers in Oakland since 2024 to help local agencies go after organized crime, sideshows, carjacking, and other violent offenses. Governor Gavin Newsom said in November 2024 that Alameda County had recorded the highest homicide, violent crime, and property crime rates among California’s 10 largest counties in 2023. (gov.ca.gov) California’s broader crime picture has also been uneven. The Public Policy Institute of California said violent crime fell statewide in 2024 but still remained above pre-pandemic levels after adjusting for reporting problems in Oakland and some other jurisdictions. (ppic.org) Oakland police said the East Oakland case is still active and asked anyone with information to call the Robbery Unit at 510-238-3326. They also asked residents with photos or video to send them to cidvideos@oaklandca.gov as detectives keep building the case. (oaklandca.gov)
