Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee’s car was stolen — after a brazen thief broke into her City Hall office to abscond with the black SUV, a source told The California Post.
Lee’s car was recovered in nearby Vallejo, Calif. after the shameless car bandit reportedly stole the mayor’s keys from her office two days ago. The door to her office was found tampered with, according to a source close to the Oakland Police Department.
The police believe they know who the culprit is and there is a warrant for their arrest, per the source.
Lee, a longtime East Bay congresswoman, narrowly won the Oakland mayor’s race in 2024 and inherited a city plagued by burglaries, car thefts and other property crimes.
Oakland has one of the highest rates of auto thefts in the country, with 9,914 motor vehicle theft crimes in 2024, according to FBI data.
Its overall crime rate was 4 times the national average in 2024 amid a severe Oakland police staffing shortage, with the department running about 280 officers short, according to an independent report cited in local media.
The city has made headlines for violent crimes like the murder of beloved Laney College football coach John Beam.
In October, more than 1,000 historic artifacts, including Native American jewelry and relics, were stolen from the Oakland Museum of California’s storage facility.
In December, the Oakland City Council voted in for a contract with Flock Safety to maintain safety cameras after a highly contentious public debate.
Representatives for Lee’s office and Oakland City Hall did not immediately respond to requests for comment.