‘It’s illegal’: 16 small Oakland businesses looted near Hegenberger corridor

OAKLAND, Calif. (KGO) — Sixteen small businesses were broken into and looted in a single Oakland office building over the weekend.

It happened near Collins Drive and Hegenberger Road, the same area where several businesses have been seen closing due to crime in recent months.

“They kicked this one open here, you can see right there where they kicked it open,” said Ken Houston, director of the Oakland Beautification Council.

Door after door, Houston showed us 16 small businesses that were broken into and looted early Saturday morning.

“These are the remains of our fence cut right here,” he said.

FURTHER: For this reason, Governor Newsom urges Oakland to update the strict police pursuit policy

Houston is also one of five owners of this office building at 8055 Collins Drive, near Hegenberger Road.

He believes the thieves cut through two fences and entered through an exit door on the second floor.

“I’ve never seen it like that, it’s illegal,” Houston said. “They’re not afraid. It’s called healthy fear and respect. They don’t have a healthy fear and respect for the law; that’s scary.”

Houston says her space is an incubator for small businesses, with predominantly Black and Latino owners, like Kris Prater.

“Every time you walk through the door you think, ‘Hey, it’s like someone slept in your bed when they weren’t supposed to be in your house,'” said Kris Prater, owner of Sneek’s Barbershop.

His office building is directly behind the Denny’s on Hegenberger Road, which closed earlier this year due to crime in the area.

Its building, now covered in graffiti. Its parking lot, now invaded by campers.

It’s right down the street from the 76 gas station that was robbed by more than 80 robbers just three weeks ago.

FURTHER: Video shows dozens of people looting a gas station in Oakland

“As more businesses close, we see what that brings with it,” said LaTanya Hawkins, co-founder and office manager. “We see people coming in and destroying businesses like ours and our tenants and the gas station down the street, and it’s really disheartening because we’re from here.”

According to ABC7 News Neighborhood Safety TrackerCitywide robberies in Oakland are down 21% compared to the previous three-year average.

Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao visited the site last week with the city’s deputy police chief and the director of the Department of Transportation to discuss safety and traffic issues.

Oakland police said they believe there are at least three suspects involved, but no arrests have been made.

INTERACTIVE: Check out the ABC7 Neighborhood Safety Tracker