BART Police make arrests in connection with series of cellphone thefts
BART police are urging riders to keep a close eye on their cellphones after they made multiple arrests in connection with a series of electronic thefts. A total of ten juveniles were detained by BPD on Tuesday, May 7th at the West Oakland, 12th Street/Oakland City Center, and Powell Street stations. The investigation is on-going, and detectives are working to determine how many thefts the juveniles are responsible for.
“We’ve seen a surge in cellphone thefts in San Francisco between the Glen Park and Powell Street stations,” said Interim BART Police Chief Ed Alvarez. “We’re deploying as many officers as we can, but we need help from our riders. Most cellphone thefts on BART are crimes of opportunity. People should regularly look up from their devices, so they can see what’s happening near them and avoid having their phones out when the doors open for their trains.”
The latest cellphone incidents appear to be grab-and-go thefts. At this point there’s no indication any weapons were involved, and no injuries were reported in connection with these crimes. The juveniles that were detained range in age from 14 to 16 years old. Two suspects were booked into juvenile hall on suspicion of attempted robbery while the others who were detained were identified and released to their parents or guardians.