Terrifying video shows gang of masked burglars roaming Bay Area street at 2am breaking into cars
A Ring doorbell captures terrifying scenes in the Californian city of Antioch, as a gang of at least eight masked people ransacked parked cars in the middle of the night, plundering whatever they could find.
Residents said they were woken by the commotion at 2am on July 6, but were too frightened to confront the gang.
'When I see them I didn't know what was happening. I was like, 'I hope they don't try to go through the garage,'' said Mike Allen, whose car was among those broken in to.
He told KRON 4: 'I was like, 'I am not going out there by myself.' It was about 10 of them.'
The area is generally a quiet one, spared the serious crime seen elsewhere in the troubled Bay Area. But the sheer size of this crime gang stunned local cops.
At least seven thieves can be seen in this image from a Ring doorbell camera, ransacking vehicles at 2am
The shadowy figures can be seen roaming the street and breaking into the vehicles
Police said the spree was unusual, because criminals do not normally like to break into cars in a large gang
Allen said he saw members of the gang going through his family's vehicles, but felt powerless to stop them.
'They broke into my girlfriend's car,'he said. 'She had her baby bag in the car. They went in there rummaging through everything.'
He said his neighbors had similar stories.
'The following morning, I saw three other cars down the street that they did the same thing,' he added.
Police were called, and arrived within five minutes.
But the gang had already fled.
Sgt. Price Kendall said the scale of the ransacking was unusual, because thieves usually worked in smaller groups.
'It is unusual that you see that many people, a large group, would go around looking into cars and walking the neighborhood,' Kendall said.
Sergeant Price Kendall said the crimes were unusual, and many of the vehicles appeared unlocked
He did not say whether any arrests had been made, but noted that many of the cars appeared to be unlocked.
He said the thieves appeared to be targeting cars they could rob with minimum noise, and maximum speed.
'There were definitely crimes of opportunity,' Kendall said.
'Through one of the videos, you can see they were able to walk up to the car. The car was more than likely unlocked.'
Antioch is 45 miles inland from San Francisco - a city which is seeing soaring theft. It sits within Costa Contra District Attorney's jurisdiction. DA Diana Becton's election campaign was handed $1 million by billionaire George Soros, who's known for backing progressive prosecutors who critics say are soft on crime.
Last week reports emerged of a gang of teenagers in ski masks attacking mothers and nannies in broad daylight in one of San Francisco's wealthiest neighborhoods, and stealing their cell phones.
The group is believed to be behind 11 thefts in one week at the end of June said Thomas Harvey, captain of the San Francisco Police Department's Mission District police station.
The attacks are mainly in the Noe Valley area of the city, where the average house is valued at $1.7 million.
One suspect has been arrested, and police are hunting for the others, as robberies city-wide surge 11.9 percent, year on year.
Shoppers are seen in Noe Valley Town Square. The district, where houses cost an average of $1.7 million, is now seeing a spate of attacks on mothers, carried out by a gang of teenagers
Catherine Stefani, a member of the San Francisco board of supervisors, said the brazen attacks on the women were deeply troubling, and called for police to increase their patrols.
'I am incredibly alarmed by this and think it highlights the need for increased police presence in the area, especially given what is happening in Noe Valley,' she told The San Francisco Chronicle.
'Ensuring the security and well-being of residents, particularly women, is top priority for me and I have asked SFPD to step up patrols in the area.'
One woman, who gave her initials as CW, told the newspaper she was on her way to pick up her daughter from daycare when she was attacked.
She said she was pushing an empty stroller when a person in a gray ski mask hopped out of a car and knocked her to the sidewalk as he snatched her phone.
'I was shoved to the ground aggressively,' she said.
'While I appreciate that phones were stolen, the violence that went alongside these robberies is far more concerning.
'This is not just a 'phone snatch' situation. This is a targeted, violent attack against moms and caretakers.'
Noe Valley is one of San Francisco's most affluent neighborhoods
Noe Valley is nicknamed 'Stroller Valley', due to its popularity with young families
Another woman, Laura, a daycare worker, said she was punched in the back of the head while waiting for a train, with her attacked grabbing her phone and jumping into a waiting car.
'The first thing I thought was that they didn't have to hit me, they didn't have to be so aggressive,' she told the paper.
'Then the anguish of knowing that they had taken my unlocked cell phone and that I had all my credit cards tied to my Apple Pay.'
A third victim told the paper she was across the street from a cafe, talking on her phone, when a young man in a black ski mask began trailing her.
She said she 'felt heaviness' on her back and when she turned her head to look, the teen grabbed her hand that was holding the phone and punched her in the face, running off with her phone and leaving her in tears and shock.
Nicole Saerom, who was walking nearby, said she felt the same attacker following her but changed course, and then saw him attack the other woman.
'I heard her scream so loudly,' said Saerom.
'It happened so fast. My heart was racing. I immediately felt fear, deep fear.'
'There is a problem in San Francisco if daily muggings are becoming the new normal.'
Source: Daily Mail
