Oakland police ask for public’s help after car break-ins in Lakeshore Avenue shopping district

Police in Oakland are asking for the public’s help in identifying a man seen brazenly breaking into several parked cars along Lakeshore Avenue in the Lake Merritt business district early Wednesday afternoon.

The break-ins, captured on video by a witness, caught the attention of Oakland Police Chief LeRonne L. Armstrong.

“This brazen crime happened in the middle of the day, in one of our busiest business districts,” Armstrong said. “I thank our community member who safely captured this crime in progress on video, and to those who called 911. Together, we unite to ‘STAND UP FOR A SAFE OAKLAND’.”

OPD requests assistance from our community/media in identifying a CAR BURGLARY suspect. Investigators have released this video of the person responsible for committing several CAR Burglary’s today, in Downtown/Lakeshore area.
If you have info. call OPD 510-238-3951 pic.twitter.com/AvUHHxYIrJ

— Oakland Police Dept. (@oaklandpoliceca) July 21, 2021

Police investigators said the car break-ins happened at about 12:30 p.m., when a man, with his own vehicle double-parked, was seen smashing car windows in the 3200 block of Lakeshore Avenue.

The Oakland Police Department is encouraging the community to report all crimes.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Oakland Police Department’s Burglary Section at (510) 238-3951.