5 vehicles stolen from Alameda County maintenance garage; investigation underway

OAKLAND, Calif. - Several vehicles – including some that belong to the sheriff's office – were stolen from an Alameda County maintenance garage in Oakland on Sunday morning – all of which were later found, but the investigation is ongoing as to who did it.

What we know:

The sheriff’s office discovered just after 7:15 a.m. on Sunday that a parking garage at 165 13th St. in Oakland had been broken into and five department vehicles were missing, according to a department statement.

ACSO Sgt. Roberto Morales told KTVU that a preliminary investigation indicated that an unknown number of suspects forced their way into the maintenance garage through a gate.

Morales added that one of the vehicles stolen belonged to a rental company, while another was an unmarked police vehicle belonging to the sheriff's office.

"There were no weapons in any of the vehicles that were stolen," Morales said. "Now we are doing the investigative part. Who did it. Why it happened and is there something we can do to increase security at the county garage."

Authorities were able to recover four of the vehicles by using automated license plate readers, though the fifth vehicle – the unmarked sheriff's vehicle – was still outstanding on Sunday morning and the sheriff's department advised the public to exercise caution if they were approached by individuals claiming to be law enforcement in a blue 2025 Ford Explorer.

However, the sheriff's office told KTVU about 4:20 p.m. that the remaining police vehicle had been found and recovered.

What's next:

An investigation into the vehicle thefts is ongoing, and no suspects have been taken into custody. 

Members of the county's crime lab team were scene looking for fingerprints on several parked cars, including a black Dodge Charger across the street from the garage. 

Anyone with information was asked to contact the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office at 510-667-7721.

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