Oakland police arrested four boys after a 61-year-old man was beaten and had his car taken in East Oakland late Thursday night, according to reports on the case.
The carjacking happened at about 11:20 p.m. on Oct. 8 on the 1700 block of East 24th Street, in the San Antonio area. The suspects allegedly punched the man in the face and held him on the ground before driving off in his 2009 Chevrolet Aveo.
A short chase
Officers later spotted the stolen car near High Street and Brookdale Avenue. The group abandoned the vehicle and tried to get away on foot, and the pursuit ended in the 2500 block of Lilac Street, where all four were taken into custody. The man got his car back.
Reports put the suspects' ages at 12 and 15. All four are Oakland residents and were booked into Alameda County Juvenile Hall. Because they are minors, their names have not been released. Cases involving juveniles go through Alameda County's juvenile court, where prosecutors decide what charges to bring, and the proceedings are generally closed to the public.
Police have not said how badly the man was hurt beyond the reported injuries from the attack, or whether the boys are suspected in any other crimes.
A familiar pattern
The arrests echo an April case in which Oakland police caught four juveniles after a string of armed robberies and carjackings in East Oakland over one night. In that case, the department said officers recovered two loaded, unregistered guns fitted with devices that made them fully automatic.
Juvenile suspects have featured in a number of Oakland carjacking arrests in recent years, which keeps pressure on city leaders over youth violence prevention programs as well as policing.
Anyone with information about carjackings in East Oakland can call the Oakland Police Department's robbery unit at (510) 238-3326.