An Alameda County Superior Court judge had his Rolex watch stolen by a group of men just blocks from an Oakland courthouse Thursday, according to a local report.
The incident comes two days after hundreds of residents turned out to decry what they painted as deteriorating public safety in the Bay Area community.
The young men, believed to be between 18 and 22 and traveling in a light-colored Hyundai, accosted the judge just blocks away from the city’s main courthouse, according to the Berkeley Scanner.Â
Oakland police deferred comment to the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office. Spokespersons for the sheriff’s office did not immediately return calls seeking comment.
CALIFORNIA RESIDENTS FURIOUS WITH OKLAND OFFICIALS OVER INCREASED VIOLENCE: ‘CAN’T LIVE LIKE THIS’
Oakland police statistics show a slight increase in robberies in 2023 through the end of April. There were 964 this year, compared to 943 in 2022. However, strong-arm robberies have spiked 35% in that same span, according to police statistics.
On Tuesday, nearly 500 residents packed a meeting with city officials and police leaders to raise their concerns about public safety.
One concerned resident, Denise Lillian, told authorities she was “totally traumatized” after being attacked outside her home on Monday, according to KTVU FOX 2.
“Two kids beat the s— of me in front of my house,” she said.
They knocked her to the ground, punched her, kicked her and dragged her across the pavement, she said.
“It’s one of the most terrifying things in my life,” she added.
Earlier this month, the city saw 100 robberies in a week, with 50 taking place over a single weekend, according to Oakland police.
“When judges, Marines and former senators can’t even feel safe walking down the streets of California anymore, how are the rest of us supposed to feel?” asked California GOP Chairwoman Jessica Millan Patterson, referring to the 2021 assault and robbery of former Sen. Barbara Boxer in Oakland.
And just across the San Francisco…
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