The bandit who stolethe mayor of Oakland’s $75,000 SUVhad been “squatting” inside City Hall before swiping the keys from her office, the California Post can reveal.
Barbara Lee’s black Ford Expedition was reported missing on Tuesday but was recovered just “hours later” in nearby Vallejo, California, thanks to a tracker attached to it. The suspect remains at large.
A source told the Post the thief had been living inside the complex since Friday and managed to stay undetected despite the highly paid ABC Security Services being on site.
The suspect was holed out on the 11th floor of the deserted offices over the Presidents Day weekend, according to the insider.
They are understood to have “jimmied” the door to Lee’s office on Monday and made off with the city-owned car using an unsecured parking lot entrance.
Police said the alleged thief had been identified through security footage and a warrant had been issued for their arrest, insiders told the San Francisco Chronicle.
Photos obtained by the Post on Thursday show the office block appearing completely deserted — as multiple staff still work remotely.
Small scratch marks could be seen around the lock to Lee’s office and a sign on the door asked visitors to “please check in at the front desk.”
A nearby elevator had an out of order sign emblazoned across it and no workers could be across the site in the pictures obtained by the Post.
Meanwhile the mayor’s reserved parking spot in a side alley on the complex sat empty. It is unclear where her Ford Expedition is currently being held.
Source: California Post – Breaking California News, Photos & Videos
