Brazen, violent daylight robbery at Oakland gas station caught on camera
OAKLAND -- A Texas attorney is putting up reward money to help investigators find the perpetrators of a robbery that victimized her son as he was fueling his car in Oakland.
The brazen daytime crime happened around 2 o'clock Monday at the 76 station on Hegenberger Road near Oakland International Airport.
The 21-year-old victim was filling up a rental car before returning. He and four friends were on the way to the airport to catch a return flight to Texas.
Surveillance footage showed a four-door Infiniti pulling up next to the victim's rental Ford SUV. One man got out to break the back window and open the door. The robbers then took luggage and belongings. Another robber walked around and pointed a gun at the driver to steal his bracelets and a watch. The robbers also took phones and wallets from the passengers. In all, there were five culprits seen in the surveillance video.
"Our son was hit with a gun multiple times. He was robbed violently as his friends were as well," said Maxey Scherr, the driver's mother. The victim did not want to be identified for safety reasons.
Scherr is an attorney in Texas. She is offering $10,000 for information that leads to an arrest and conviction.
"The reason we are offering this reward is because it's enough. It's enough. What happened to our son, we don't want other sons to feel that way. We don't want any other parents to feel the way we're feeling now and it shouldn't have to take a death for us to be loud," said Scherr.
Scherr's family, her son and friends flew in to the Napa area to celebrate her son turning 21 years old over the weekend.
"I wish I could just erase those last few moments because before that, it was one the best weekends all of us had ever had," Scherr said.
Scherr said what was shocking to her family was that crime appears to be normalized by politicians in Oakland. She said it felt like crime was accepted as a way of life.
"We were responded to with nothing. We were responded to with complacency and nonresponsiveness," Scherr said.
The Hegenberger corridor is considered to be of the most dangerous areas in the city. An In-N-Out restaurant there is closing in March. A Starbucks and Denny's restaurant have already closed, citing crime.
Police said burglars and robbers often target tourists flying in and out of the airport.
"It's crazy. I mean it's a daily thing. It hasn't been a day since we opened in August that we don't have an incident," said Sam Mardaie, owner of the gas station.
Mardaie shared footage of other robberies. He demands the city do more.
"I come from Yemen, a third world country, and we don't have those incidents in a third world country where there's no law and order," Mardaie said.
Oakland mayor Sheng Thao released a statement, reading in part: "as Mayor, I have prioritized this critical gateway to Oakland and surged police presence and employed technology to deter and respond to criminal behavior. The surge in public safety resources has led to a reduction in property crimes along the Hegenberger corridor. However, more is necessary and I will be working with regional and state leaders to protect this tourist gateway into Oakland."
For the victim's mom and dad, it was too little too late.
"This has definitely left a bad taste in (my son's) mouth and all of ours. We definitely wouldn't be visiting Oakland anytime soon," said Victor Obevoen, the victim's father.
"I'm one little person living two states away and I'm making the little noise that I can make to red-flag this and put an end to it," Scherr said.
Oakland police confirmed on Friday evening that officers had arrested one suspect in the robbery. They said the investigation was still active.
