Oakland banks and businesses targeted in series of ram-raid robberies

OAKLAND, Calif. (KRON) — Two banks in Oakland’s Chinatown were burglarized early Wednesday morning after suspects used a vehicle to ram into the buildings.

The break-ins occurred at Cathay Bank and Sterling Bank and Trust on Webster Street, forcing both to remain closed for the day. Police responded to the scene around 4:15 AM and found broken glass, but the suspects had already fled.

“A little shocked. I’m not surprised being that you have organized crime, you know, hitting more than one spot,” said Tony Cheung, owner of Earth Grown, a business next to Cathay Bank.

Carl Chan, president of the Oakland Chinatown Chamber Foundation, noted the involvement of federal investigators, as the burglaries are considered a federal crime. He also mentioned that many surveillance cameras have been installed throughout the Chinatown community, which may provide useful footage of the incidents.

The burglaries follow a similar incident in Oakland’s Little Saigon neighborhood, where armed suspects used a vehicle to smash into a jewelry store earlier in the week.

Tony Cheung expressed concern over the impact of such incidents on the community, stating, “Overall, Chinatown’s been a lot better. But I can’t say this is gonna help us at all.”

Carl Chan praised the police department for their efforts in reducing crime rates but emphasized the need for additional measures to protect local businesses.

The burglaries have raised concerns among local business owners and community leaders about the safety and security of Oakland’s Chinatown. Efforts are underway to review surveillance footage and involve federal investigators in the case.

The bank robberies follow a similar crime Monday night in Oakland when masked robbers used a truck to smash their way into a jewelry store before violently robbing the owner.

All facts in this report were gathered by journalists employed by KRON4. Artificial intelligence tools were used to reformat from a broadcast script into a news article for our website. This report was edited and fact-checked by KRON4 staff before being published.