Wild moment brazen thieves drag Bank of America ATM through streets of Oakland in broad daylight

• One was arrested in connection to the robbery as police continue to look for additional suspects
• The Oakland In-N-Out closure marks the first in the company’s 75-year history
• Mayor Sheng Thao has repeatedly decried claims of rising crime under her leadership, even as rates spike 

Thieves purloined an ATM from a Bank of America in Oakland in broad daylight, just down street from the city’s only In-N-Out, which will soon close its doors amid soaring crime rates.

Video from the scene showed the ATM hitched to a white van with a cable, flying down the street as sparks sprayed from the pavement.

The Bank of America on Hegenberger Road sported a boarded-up window following Sunday morning’s break-in. Police said another ATM was stolen about an hour earlier from a nearby business and later recovered.

Anthony Pearson was taken into custody in connection to the bank robbery and charged by the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office, police announced. They believe there are additional suspects.

The robbery occurred just down the street from the city’s only In-N-Out Burger, which will shut it doors for good on March 24, marking the first time the company had closed a restaurant in its 75-year history.

In a statement Tuesday, Chief Operating Officer Dennick Warnick said the company was left with no alternative due to ‘the frequency and severity of the crimes being encountered by our customers and associates.’

‘Despite taking repeated steps to create safer conditions, our customers and associates are regularly victimized by car break-ins, property damage, theft and armed robberies,’ Warnick said.

He noted the location was ‘busy and profitable’ during its nearly two decades of business, but did not want to encourage employees or patrons to ‘visit or work in an unsafe environment.’

The roughly 100 employees affected by the closure will have the option to transfer to a nearby restaurant in San Francisco or receive severance. 

There was an increased police presence in area Wednesday as the city pledged to crack down in the crime-plagued area known as the Hegenberger Corridor.

Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao issued her own statement regarding the restaurant closure.

‘As Mayor, I have prioritized this critical gateway to Oakland and surged police presence and employed technology to deter and respond to criminal behavior,’ she said.

‘The surge in public safety resources has led to a reduction in property crimes along the Hegenberger Corridor.’

The mayor has previously touted efforts by her administration to curb theft. Speaking to KRON 4, Thao said her office had implemented new neighborhood strategies and was already seeing success.

In Chinatown, Uptown and Jack London Square areas, she said, ‘We have experienced 42 percent decrease in robberies, 32 percent decrease in auto burglaries… and a 38 percent decrease in theft and 13 percent decrease in commercial burglaries.’

The In-N-Out closure is the latest in a series of chains shuttering their Oakland locations. Starbucks, Target and other businesses have closed their doors over the past year.

Despite Thao’s claims, data from the Oakland Police Department shows burglaries were up 23 percent and motor vehicle thefts up 44 percent in 2023 compared to a year prior, while reports of violent crime saw a 21 percent spike.

The Hegenberger Corridor is particularly troubled. A diner told KPIX-TV that someone broke into their car while they were eating at In-N-Out, while an employee at the fast food chain said they had witnessed armed robberies in the parking lot.

A worker at a nearby Wing Stop said her car had been broken into four times since she started working there. While there weren’t any issues when police were present, she added, the thieves would return after they left.

Thao has repeatedly decried claims of an uptick in crime under her leadership. 

‘Crime in Oakland has been on a steady rise since 2019,’ she said. ‘It is dishonest for anyone to say that crime started rising under my watch only.’

Earlier this month, a group led by retired Alameda County Superior Court Judge Brenda Harbin-Forte sent out an official notice of intent to start the process of booting Thao from office.

The organizers accused the Mayor of creating a public safety crisis by ‘systematically dismantling’ OPD, firing former police chief LeRonne Armstrong and failing to appoint a successor.

‘Lives have been lost, property destroyed, businesses have shut down, and fear and collective trauma are daily occurrences for Oaklanders,’ the notice read.

But Thao’s chief of staff, Leigh Hanson, says the recall campaign is ‘led by losers.’

‘I know for a fact that if Mayor Thao had lost the election, she would have conceded gracefully and found a legitimate job that contributed to moving our community forward,’ Hanson said in a statement.

‘I have faith that Oaklanders are smarter than this, and will resist the urge to be distracted by a desperate attempt for relevance.’