May 5, 2022
OAKLAND, California—Minors as young as 11, suspected in connection to violent robberies and carjackings. The latest incident involves an Asian-American family who missed out on spending time with their dying relative because they were carjacked by “teens” in Oakland.
Siblings who only wanted to be identified as the Tangs described to ABC7’s Dion Lim the terror that unfolded outside their aunt’s home in Oakland in early April.
“They got out of the car, they walked toward us. One in the back was brandishing a gun on his hip. My throat was choked up, I couldn’t say anything. I couldn’t believe it was happening,” stated the brother.
The Tang siblings were in Oakland to join family and be at their terminally ill cousin’s bedside when they were ambushed by multiple “teens.” Ms. Tang was shoved to the ground during the incident, reports ABC7.
Ms. Tang explained to Dion Lim she knew they were after her keys. The suspects took the keys and a phone and drove off in Ms. Tang’s car. Three days later, police documents show a 12-year-old and a 13-year-old were arrested in connection with the violent robbery and carjacking.
“How are they doing these things?” Tang asked Dion Lim. “When I was 12, I was not like that at all!”
The siblings explained although the “teens” were young, they seemed like they’d been doing it for a while.
Nearly a year ago, Dion Lim broke a story where an 80-year-old man was knocked to the ground and robbed in San Leandro. At the time, San Leandro police reported a 300-percent increase in attacks on Asian-Americans in 2021, compared to 2020.
Multiple suspects were involved in the 80-year-old’s attack, all of them under 16, including one of the same suspects involved in the robbing and carjacking of the Tang siblings—he was 11 at the time and shown to be African-American from the San Leandro footage.
Days after that San Leandro attack last year, the same 11-year-old was involved in a carjacking of an Asian woman in Oakland, according to ABC7.
“Street gangs encourage youngsters to do these carjackings and it gives them credibility with their crew, with their gang, and they continue to do these violent acts,” said Alameda County Sheriff Greg Ahern. “Juvenile suspects when they’re taken into custody on serious offenses, we can not interview them in regards to that crime. Many times they’re taken into custody and then released.”
Many disgruntled Asian-American residents told Asian Dawn this catch-and-release policy is a new form of “black excellence” and the cycle of robberies and thefts are only getting worse.
“We’re trying to get to these individuals in unincorporated areas to provide them access to programs, athletics, better access to learning programs, education,” said Ahern. “Boxing programs, we have soccer programs. We want to make sure they have access to get a job.”
The Tang siblings told Dion Lim while they were dealing with the trauma of being carjacked and assaulted outside, their ailing cousin passed away inside their aunt’s home.
“My mind was torn,” he said. “I wanted to be with my relative so bad, and I have to deal with this carjacking. I wanted to give police information when it was fresh in my mind but I wanted to be with my cousin even more.”
Screenshot via ABC7