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Woman accused of Oakland fire station burglary found wearing fire gear

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Published  March 20, 2026 1:37pm PDT
Oakland
KTVU FOX 2
article

The Brief

    • A convicted thief, Crystal Coleman, is charged with burglarizing an Oakland fire station and was found wearing stolen fire gear inside.
    • She was also allegedly in possession of a firefighter's laptop and a package at the time of her arrest.
    • Coleman was previously arrested in December for an unrelated robbery involving a taco stand, where she allegedly used a knife to demand a burrito and steal cash.

OAKLAND, Calif. - A convicted thief has been charged with burglarizing an Oakland fire station, where authorities say she was found wearing stolen fire gear.

Suspect found inside station

Crystal Coleman, 41, is accused of entering Fire Station 20 near 98th Avenue and International Boulevard. Firefighters found her inside the station wearing a fire hat, shirt and pants, according to police.

Authorities said Coleman was also in possession of a firefighter's laptop and a package at the time of her arrest.

Prior arrest in robbery case

In December, Coleman was arrested and charged with robbery in a separate incident. She is accused of demanding a burrito at knifepoint from a taco stand near 90th Avenue and International Boulevard.

Police said she then allegedly entered the food truck, fixed herself a plate and again brandished a knife before stealing cash from a tip jar.

The Source: Alameda County District Attorney, Oakland Police Department

OaklandCrime and Public Safety