Arrest Made After Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee’s SUV Stolen From City Hall

Oakland Police have arrested a suspect in connection with a case this week involving the theft of a city-owned SUV reportedly used by Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee, the department said Thursday afternoon.

The case is still under active investigation, and no other details about the arrest were immediately available.

Police union officials told KQED that the suspect entered City Hall during work hours on Friday and camped out on the 11th floor while the building was quiet over the Presidents Day holiday weekend.

The break-in and robbery is now raising questions about security at City Hall, where the vehicle was parked when it was stolen.

On Monday, the individual broke into the mayor’s office and stole keys to the city-owned Ford Expedition, according to a spokesperson for the Oakland police union.

The SUV was recovered in Vallejo with the use of license plate reader technology just hours after police were notified it was missing on Tuesday.

“No one in Oakland should have to worry about their car being stolen, whether they’re a resident, a city worker or the mayor,” Lee said in a brief statement. “Public safety is a priority across our entire city.”

Oakland contracts with a private security company, ABC Security, to guard City Hall. The company did not return a request for comment about security over the weekend or any potential changes moving forward.

City officials also did not comment on whether security protocols will change as a result of the break-in.

“There is footage inside City Hall from security cameras that are being reviewed by law enforcement as part of this investigation,” said Sam Singer, the spokesperson for the Oakland police union.

Singer said City Hall was mostly empty over the holiday weekend.

While the theft of a high-ranking official’s vehicle is rare, it’s not the first time that government leaders in Oakland have fallen victim to car break-ins and property theft.

Former Mayor Sheng Thao’s car was broken into in 2023 while she was attending a documentary premiere at Grand Lake Theater. The break-in was believed to have been part of a string of auto burglaries that evening near Lake Merritt.

Later that same year, Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price had a work laptop stolen from her security team’s SUV while it was parked in front of the Family Justice Center in Oakland.