3 Oakland Chevron stations burglarized 15 minutes apart

OAKLAND, Calif. - Several Chevron gas stations in Oakland were burglarized early Tuesday morning, and all were owned by the same company.

Burglaries occurred 15 minutes apart

What we know:

The first burglary happened around 3:30 a.m. at a Chevron station in the 3500 block of Lakeshore Avenue, according to the Oakland Police Department.

Officers responded to a report of a burglary in progress and arrived to find evidence of a break-in, with several suspects and cars fleeing the scene.

Authorities said the suspects appeared to have used a car to ram into the gas station’s convenience store to gain entry before fleeing when officers arrived. The burglars took off, but Oakland police did not chase them in accordance with the department's pursuit policies, which prohibit chasing after suspects in property crimes.

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About 15 minutes later, at 3:45 a.m., another Chevron station in the 4100 block of Redwood Road was burglarized. The intruders broke a glass window to get into the store and left before officers arrived.

At 4 a.m., officers were alerted to yet another burglary at a Chevron station in the 5600 block of Moraga Avenue in Montclair Village. Authorities said the suspects used a car to break into the store, stole items, and then fled in a vehicle.

Surveillance video from one of the burglaries showed a stolen Lexus sedan reversing into the gas station on Lakeshore Avenue, with at least four suspects in hoodies entering and rummaging through the store.

The owner of the stolen Lexus told KTVU, "I'm kind of tired of it, you know. I's getting pretty old here in Oakland." He said his Corvette was stolen exactly a year ago.

Same owner

All three gas stations are owned by Ken Betts Co., which operates several Chevron stations, auto shops, and car washes in Oakland.

"I have anxiety and frustration with the city," said Marissa Betts, granddaughter of the late Ken Betts. "We have to talk about it. We have to talk about the future. Do we stay in Oakland? It's a question. And we've been here for decades. Like this is a generational place."

What we don't know:

Authorities have not said whether it was a coincidence that the locations were owned by the same company or if that was a factor in the burglaries.

See also: Illegal cannabis worth $20 million found in Oakland warehouse

Officials also have not confirmed whether anything was stolen in the first two incidents or if the same suspects were involved in all three burglaries.

Omar Rathod, general manager of the burglarized Chevron stations, said some gas pumps are now inoperable, affecting business operations.

"This is crazy. We’ve been hit so many times now, it’s like a routine," Rathod said. "Now we can't sell gas, we can't do anything, we can't even sell a candy bar right now."

He speculates that the burglars were looking for a safe inside the convenience stores. He said that the locations do not carry cash.

Daniel Swafford, executive director of the Montclair Village Association, said he's frustrated by Oakland's pursuit policies.

"We'll probably be repeating it tonight and tomorrow and who knows how long until they're apprehended," Swafford said. "I understand it is property crime, but you're also talking about the livelihood of mom and pop business owners."