Oakland neighborhood on edge in wake of brazen daylight armed robbery attempt
OAKLAND -- Residents in Oakland's Trestle Glen neighborhood say for the most part they're used to dealing with property crime like stolen catalytic converters and break-ins here and there, but not violence like this.
It happened just before 11 a.m. on the 800 block of Trestle Glen Road east of I-580. Arriving Oakland police officers learned that two individuals -- including one armed with a firearm -- had approached the victim, a woman reportedly in her early 60s. She was with a 15-month-old toddler in a stroller when one of the suspects demanded her belongings at gunpoint.
"I guess the guy aimed at the ground, that's what I heard from police," local resident Tim Johnson said. "I didn't see it, I heard it but I didn't see it and that looks like where the bullet was fired. That's what the police said yes,"
He pointed at the divot in the sidewalk from the bullet.
Johnson was working in his home office when he heard the gunshot.
"I heard a woman screaming and my wife and I ran downstairs and ran outside," Johnson said. "She had run up the street a little bit, was able to keep her purse and apparently the guy shot into the ground to frighten her, but she did keep her purse."
"Her little boy was injured, he had a couple cuts on his ankle," he added. "So my wife and I brought the woman and the little boy into our house, put Band-Aids on him, gave him some water and waited for the police to come."
Investigators say the child was hit by shrapnel from the gunfire.
"She was terrified and traumatized and the little boy was traumatized and crying," Johnson said.
The child was taken to the hospital for more treatment and is listed in stable condition.
OPD said they've seen a 3% increase in robberies this year compared to the same period in 2022.
"We're seeing that these offenders are very dangerous," OPD public information officer Kim Armstead said. 'We're asking individuals who might be approached by someone, whether they're armed or not, to not resist."
Justin Fox said he had just walked down the sidewalk, which is part of his daily routine, moments before the shooting.
"This is a new frontier for this neighborhood I think. We have to do something to fix it. We have to help folks all around Oakland," he said.
Fox said he will be updating his security system following the shooting.
Johnson has lived on the block for more than a decade.
"I'm already concerned about safety," Johnson said. "It's at least the third assault on this street this year, and at least the second one with a gun. So, not happy and we already have five cameras around our house. Unfortunately, one wasn't aimed property to where the incident occurred."