Oakland business owners say they are increasingly anxious and exhausted as recurring crime turns the routine act of showing up for work into a daily safety concern.
The most recent episode unfolded Saturday afternoon, when about 20 teenagers allegedly rushed into a 7-Eleven in Oakland, grabbed merchandise and damaged the store. Employees said some members of the group later came back and tried to force their way inside again.
Store workers described the incident as part of a troubling pattern, saying the business has already endured multiple violent encounters and previous robberies.
Surveillance video showed a group of Black teenagers running into the 7-Eleven on International Boulevard at around 4 p.m. Saturday.
Two employees said those involved appeared to range in age from about 14 to 20.
According to the workers, the group swarmed the store, took several items and quickly fled outside.
Employees then locked the doors and called 911 for help.
But the group was not done, workers said.
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Several people returned shortly afterward and tried to get back inside, according to the employees.
One worker said a person ripped the store’s metal door handle off and threw it through a glass door, striking store manager Sagar Sagar in the face.
Sagar said members of the crowd were aggressive and cursed at him.
The employees said Saturday’s incident was the sixth violent incident at the store so far this year.
For Sagar, the fear is compounded by what he has already witnessed at the business.
In September 2023, a man was found dead in the store’s parking lot.
Sagar said he discovered the body only hours after the store had been robbed.
Now he says he feels powerless when thieves target the business.
“I cannot do something. If I do something, police arrest me,” Sagar told KTVU.
Employee Jasshan Singh said he was stocking shelves when the crowd suddenly rushed into the store.
“I feel scared. We can’t do anything,” Singh told KTVU. “We can’t even run.”
Oakland City Councilmember Charlene Wang, who represents the area and chairs the Council’s Public Safety Committee, said safety in the area is a priority.
“We’re working on securing International Boulevard,” Wang told KTVU. “This is a priority of mine.”
