Smash-and-grab: 3 robberies hit Oakland in 48 hours; 1 business owner held at gun point
Eyewitness video captured two cars and a truck involved in a smash-and-grab of Kim Tin Jewelry store in Oakland's Little Saigon District on Monday afternoon.
"We are really lucky that my dad is alive. Because if he was in any other position in the store, he would have died, most definitely," says Jason Dao, the son of business owner.
Dao says his father was in the back of the building when more than eight suspects stormed the small jewelry store. He says his dad was held at gun point as suspects made off with tens of thousands of dollars in jewelry in the middle of the day. The store was robber around 1:40 p.m.
"We are shocked that it happened in broad daylight. You would expect these things to happen overnight, but I don't think there is any fear of repercussion in anymore in Oakland," suggests Dao.
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A witness saw suspects leave with buckets filled with stolen jewelry
"One of them hand a 5-gallon bucket with a handle, used that to go in. I also saw someone came out with a basket," says the witness.
Early Wednesday morning, there were two more smash-and-grabs in Oakland. This time, two banks were hit in Chinatown.
"And it is going to get worse. It is not going to get any better. Because help Is not coming fast enough, says Sergeant Huy Nguyen, President of the Oakland Police Officers' Association.
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Sergeant Nguyen has long argued that staffing levels is a concern. He says on Monday, there should have been two beat officers in little Saigon.
"Two police officers were not in their assigned district. One was off. And the other was assigned to a hospital assignment," explains Nguyen.
Nguyen says because of staffing shortages, there were no replacements. Also, he doesn't anticipate any change to protocol due to the three smash-and-grabs, again, due to staffing levels.
"Normally we want to have allocated staffing," says Sgt. Nguyen. "We don't have the staffing or resources to do so."
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In an email to ABC7 News, the Oakland Police Department says it will increase patrols in those areas hit, but did not answer questions related to staffing concerns raised by the police union.
In the meantime, Kim Tin jewelry remains closed. The family says the insurance money isn't enough to cover what was lost.
"My dad is so traumatized he can't even think about going back into the jewelry store. To work right now, even though he has no other way to make money," says Dao.
A GoFundMe has been set up to assistance in the recovery.
