When The Economy Gets Bad, The Streets Get Bad - Oakland Tribune

Two more robberies in Oakland:

Residents stabbed, pistol-whipped in Oakland home invasion robberies

By William Brand and Angela Hart
Oakland Tribune

Article Last Updated: 09/11/2008 06:45:31 PM PDT

OAKLAND — Police are investigating two apparently unrelated violent home invasion robberies Wednesday in Oakland's Dimond district.

One of the incidents occurred about 10:15 p.m. in the 3600 block of Laguna Avenue, where a man, 35, and a woman, 24, were stabbed.

Residents of the house told police three men wearing masks confronted them. It was unclear how they entered the house, but the victims tried to resist and were overpowered. At least one resident was tied up.

The bandits escaped with $2,000 in cash, a video game and a cell phone. They fled in a white vehicle, possibly an SUV, police said.

The stabbing victims were taken to a local hospital, where they were in stable condition, police said. The man was stabbed in the back and pistol-whipped. The woman was stabbed in the leg.

The other home invasion occurred about 2:45 p.m. Wednesday in the 2000 block of Montana Street. . Four men confronted a resident and clubbed him with a rifle. The bandits fled on foot with a television set, laptop computer, marijuana and the man's wallet. The injured man refused medical attention.

Merchants and residents in the Dimond district were shocked to hear about the home invasions. Shop owners said in the past few years, they've seen increased police presence, and they feel safer, but some residents said crime is a constant concern."People around here get robbed time after time," said resident Elton Thorton. "When the economy's bad, the streets are going to be bad."

Mike Chan, who owns Sunny's Beauty Mart on Fruitvale Avenue, said he's used to crime in the area, "but it's getting better every year."

Some said they saw helicopters flying overhead this morning.

Many area businesses keep police phone numbers within hands' reach and said that's all they can do.

"We feel pretty safe," said Steve Mangini, who has lived in Oakland for more than eight years.

Police have made no arrests in either case.

Police and Crime Stoppers of Oakland are offering up to $10,000 in reward money for information leading to the capture of the suspects. Call Oakland police at 510-238-3326 or Crime Stoppers at 510-777-8572 or 510-777-3211.