Some scary moments for an Alamo resident Tuesday after she was apparently followed home from a local department store by three armed men and robbed in the garage of her Biltmore Drive home.
The trio, reportedly armed with a variety of weapons, were last seen speeding west on Highway 24 in a car believed to be a silver Lexus. Pursuing officers lost sight of the vehicle at the Caldecott Tunnel.
The robbery was reported at approximately 2:40 p.m. Tuesday when the woman was confronted by two armed and masked men in her garage, surrendering jewelry and other personal items at gunpoint.
The suspects were described only as black males in their 30s, wearing ski masks and dark clothing.
The victim was not believed to have been physically harmed during the robbery, though she was examined and treated afterward for shock and anxiety as a result.
Why can’t the Sheriff/CHP/Orinda PD just have a couple folks permanently stationed on 24W around there, or install some retractable spikes? We see this same old story every week at this point…”disappeared through the Caldecott.”
I’m always criticized and condemned when I make comments about the Caldecott Tunnel as the escaped route for criminals here to never to be found once back in Oakland. But others are now realizing this unfortunate truth. Also, the description of the criminals and car are the exact match of who pulled a gun on me and tried to carjack me 2 weeks ago! (Police were called. I guess they were still not caught)
Your not telling anyone anything they don’t already know. Saying it over and over again doesn’t make it any more true.
Well Dan, first of all, its you’re, not “your”. Second, I, and I’m sure others, didn’t know Greg was accosted with a gun 2 weeks ago in an attempted carjacking. So obviously and contrarily, he’s telling many folks much that they didn’t already know. But thanks for validating Greg’s statement that he’s always “criticized and condemned”.
Agree. There is an ongoing and orchestrated campaign against certain public officials being conducted by groups hoping to use crime News against them. It is clear who is doing it and why but instead of focusing on the incident they attempt to spin things politically. And I agree it is boring and repetitive and excessive.
So sorry this happened to you.
Greg,
Where and when did this attempted carjacking occur?
Firestone 11R
Sorry you feel persecuted but because it’s your perception does not make it true.
(Anchorman voice) Greg, I DONT believe you
An attempted armed carjacking would be major news in these parts but there was no media attention?? Is there a chance that Greg, who loves to make crime seem worse than it is, is lying about this?
Well, he unquestionably owns the title: Boy Who Cried: ‘OTHER’ Get Off My Lawn. He also asserted previously (recently) on this site that he was carjacked in Oakland near where he works. Who knows what is true?
And I’m the person who puts people in jail, arrested one last week.
Firestone 11R
Would like an update if anyone knows where she was followed from. Pretty fancy neighborhood.
Someone on Nextdoor said that she was followed from WC Target.
BS, can’t lose a car in a tunnel. More like discontinue pursuit because of no one hurt and hope for follow up arrest, thank you Becton. Yippie ki yay, it’s The Wild West out there, I’m their huckleberry.
Firestone 11R
…jeff, word up…nobody is listening but us….
As you well know, the DA does not set police pursuit policy.
I can be wrong. I can be passionately wrong, but for a former police officer to malign a liberal DA for police pursuit practices, which the DA has no say in, is simply disingenuous, simply dishonest and political.
Thank
+1
David,
Common sense says why pursue or arrest when the DA will not prosecute.
Firestone 11R
Previously you said: “discontinue pursuit because of no one hurt and hope for follow up arrest”
Now you say: “common sense” applies and arrests don’t go anywhere, so “hope for follow up arrest” from your first comment is nonsensical. Why hope for something that “goes nowhere”?
You lack consistency, credibility, honesty, and a rational argument. Police DO continue to pursue and arrest, and, despite your protestations, the DA seems to be pretty busy prosecuting criminals.
…and miss out on all that quality stick time we have heard so much about?
Stick time is a thing of the past, current LEO’s would just let you be victimized.
Firestone 11R
@ Jeff: “current LEO’s would just let you be victimized.” That is a twisted and inaccurate lie. Shame on you. You speak only for yourself. This self-aggrandizing bile IS you. LEOs offer service. They offer the ideal of integrity and service to the rule of law. You offer only pepper spray and FEAR with no regard to the law.
Where is the helicopter?
CoCo only has one helicopter and it’s likely up for four hours a day, that was the schedule when I worked at a station that had it’s dedicated chopper. CHP is sometimes up, as is the East Bay Parks PD copter.
Firestone 11R
Potty break or fuel…..
FAA limits, inspections and maintenance.
Firestone 11R
The sense of lawlessness in our communities is alarming. These incidents are becoming more frequent and more brazen. Our electeds(Judges, County Sheriff, DA) and our votes really matter when it comes to catching and prosecuting these criminals.
Susan, take it to the bank the Sheriff (I know him personally) and his entire staff are on your side….the current DA and the judges????, not sure in the least….
Data proves otherwise. Yes, crimes happen but there is absolutely no measurable increase in crime in Contra Costa.
https://www.ppic.org/publication/crime-trends-in-california/
2022 data
Can you tell me of another time in recent memory when the violent robberies were worse? This has become common practice over the past 4 years.
I say you are in la la land, where did your data come from?
Your alerts are invaluable. Thank you.
Thanks for Flashing!
Did they get the guy in Lafayette?? Plane has left.
Busy out there?
It is indeed!
The police can’t be everywhere all the time. We have to take some responsibility for our own safety. Always be aware of your surroundings. This is extremely important when you are out in the public. Know who is around you. Check your mirrors. See a strange car behind you? DON’T GO HOME. That is not the safe place. Go to the police or the Fire Department, the Emergency room-some place public with security. Don’t leave valuables in your vehicle. Ever. That’s just an invitation to have it stolen. Don’t make yourself a target. The bling you wear can make you a target. If you are robbed just give them the stuff. Is your life worth it? I seriously doubt your friends and family would think so. And the less aware you as to who and what is around you the easier target you are. If you want to place blame don’t blame the police. Blame the lawmakers who passed the laws which made shoplifting a ticket. Blame the jails and juvenile facilities who turn away most arrestees. Juvenile Hall only accepts violent offenders arrested on felonies. Jails are overcrowded so pre trial criminals are granted bail. Free to continue their crimes. And blame social media. This so called crime wave is being fanned by social media. The latest FBI statistics do not support the horrific crime wave being alleged. We are in a era when everything hits social media where before we had to rely on local newspapers who did not report every single crime. I feel terrible for the victim and truly hope she is ok. But we have to take some responsibility for our own actions and not expect a policeman on every corner. The Bay Area is home to several million people and cars. A silver Lexus is not a unique car. And the police can’t stop every single one-not enough man power. If you want more jails, more cops, more helicopters be willing to pay for them with sales tax hikes, property tax hikes and special assessments. Nothing comes for free.
Or… hear me out now… we make criminals pay to a degree that it… wait for it… deters crime?!
Nah- we should blame victims for not being vigilant and having the carelessness to wear something that someone else wants to sell to the fences. We should teach everyone street smarts like you learn in the hood because that’s the world we should accept and get used to. In that world we worry about whether we call a murderer an illegal and if that might “dehumanize” them.
Keep denying that things are wild and more out of control. Yep we always had bands of dozens of kids robbing Nordstrom in WC. Yep we always had every store in Union Square and Westfield closing. Yep this is definitely all just media fanning the flames. Yep the statistics are definitely correct since SFPD actively discourages people from filing reports. Yep the DAs are doing a bang up job. This is just right wing conspiracy nuts who hate Newsom.
Yee haw, justice is the one thing you should always find
Firestone 11R
And yet— watch the results in November. It will be 70%+ for incumbents because we have to protect CA from MAGA or something…
I’ll be voting for people with good ideas and solutions AND voting against MAGATS.
Ah right, the mysterious warm hole you enter while traveling through the caldecott tunnel.
I sure hope you meant worm hole, Lucio.
This doesn’t happen so often in other states. I left that hell hole 3 years ago. Where I am now, you don’t get car jacked, you don’t have to lock your car, you don’t get robbed in the middle of the day. It’s CA and every other blue state/city where soft on crime policies have destroyed people’s way of life. Sad.
I guess it depends on what state you live in. I was visiting a dear friend in a nice neighborhood in AZ and her MAGA husband had only bad things to say about CA. Meanwhile, I still saw homeless encampments and people standing on islands at traffic lights soliciting money. I asked him why he has two deadbolt locks on his front door, a lock on his screen door, locks on his back patio door. He said that there were a lot of tweakers around and there have been break ins around. Crime is crime. Red states aren’t immune. It’s just political chatter.
Yes! MC, we can speak from experience. Natives of SF we left the area 2 years ago.
Every place has their crime and issues but we can live now like you , nothing like we experienced in CA. I can go to the stores, bank, eat out at night and be in my house with open doors and not be fearful. And the little kids in the neighborhood ride their bikes, play baseball and skate outside in total freedom. Last week someone stole from a store, they chased him, closed the streets and cornered him in 15 minutes he was arrested. It was a busy main highway through the cities but they were organized, local PD, Sheriff’s dept and state patrol!
I agree with Will. The criminals escaping thru the tunnel should make it easier to catch them not more difficult. It’s inexcusable and clearly shows imo Oakland is unwilling to work with contra costa and frankly I believe if the crime was committed out of the county they get a free pass. How long until one of these vehicles causes a wreck and kills someone.
Not a bad score for a few minutes work. They’ll be back.
“And I’m the person who puts people in jail, arrested one last week.
Firestone 11R”
Your comment is off topic, and self-aggrandizing. It has no apparent relevance to this “Caldecott tunnel” theme/thread on which you posted. You are not referenced in the thread, and no one has cited you as their avenger. You should talk to someone you trust about this idea you have about being the one “who puts people in jail.”
I’m a Firestone 11R fan. Brief, interesting law enforcement perspective with a touch of dry humor. I come here for local news and occasional amusement, not MSNBC or Fox hot takes.
This is far from cable news. Speaking locally, what’s your take on his professed fondness for administering “justice” at the point of arrest vs waiting for a judicial verdict of what punishment is appropriate?
I think people underestimate how much police love to avoid crime. What is safest and easiest for them during a chase with a dangerous suspect, objectively speaking? To let the criminal go. In this way, the officer is completely safe, and he even gets a full paycheck despite having accomplished absolutely nothing.
Police live to avoid crime. It is in their best interest to avoid dangerous criminals. They get paid either way.
Using public safety as a veil for this behavior is utterly obvious.
Do you know any police officers? “To Protect and Serve”. Have you talked to any? I don’t know any, but your argument seems way, way abstract, and doesn’t ring true to me.
Even David and Firestone 11r would agree here.
I know many and my godson is now with Orange County Sheriff. anon is correct, I tell my godson not to help anyone if he can avoid it. He did make a very high profile arrest last year.
Firestone 11R
Great values you are passing on, Jeff.
That’s why we live in a toilet of society.
There is fake news. We have fake cop
Goodyear 11R
Explain this please.
Robert,
These eyes have seen a thousand deaths. So. Central L.A., West Hollywood, North Richmond.
Firestone 11R
Have the ability to close the Caldecott tunnel westbound during police actions! This is a no brainer if they want to get serious about crime.