Family of 16-year-old who said she was robbed and kidnapped wants justice
16-year-old girl says she was robbed and kidnapped at gunpoint in Oakland, police investigating
Family members of a 16-year-old girl say three teens robbed her at gunpoint in the Trestle Glen neighborhood of Oakland over the weekend. They say she was robbed of her iPhone and purse before being kidnapped.
OAKLAND, Calif. - The family of a 16-year-old girl who said she was robbed at gunpoint and kidnapped in Oakland wants those responsible brought to justice.
The victim's brother said she was lured into the suspects' car.
They told her they were going to give her back a new iPhone and purse they stole from her, the brother said. Instead, they allegedly kidnapped her.
It happened in the Trestle Glen neighborhood, an area lined with beautiful homes, a short walk from bustling Lakeshore Avenue businesses.
"Honestly, safety-wise, I feel fine. There's some annoying parts, like sideshows, and a lot of noise and fireworks all the time. It's not a reason I've ever wanted to move," said Kellie Kozel, who lives nearby and walks her dog in the area.
But police are investigating a report of an armed robbery and kidnapping of the 16-year-old girl on the 700 block of Trestle Glen Road.
Her brother who asked us not to identify him, said she and her 15-year-old boyfriend went to the Wing Stop in the area around 6:30 p.m. Saturday.
They were looking for a spot to sit down and eat, he said.
"Three men came and pulled up to them in a silver Lexus and they robbed them at gunpoint. For the phone, ear pods, a couple dollars and her purse," said the brother.
A neighbor showed KTVU surveillance video that captured the incident but declined to release it.
In the video, the suspects are seen getting into a sedan.
The driver made a U-turn and stopped across the street from the victims. While in the car, they spoke with the victims for a few minutes and then the 16-year-old is seen getting into the car.
"They told my sister if she wanted her stuff back, come get it. You could trust us or something," the brother said. "She came to get it and they ended up driving off with her. She was naive, gullible."
He said her ordeal lasted hours and that the three kidnappers, described to be 17 to 19-years-old, held her in the back seat while they went on a crime spree. She told her brother the group drove all over Oakland, looking for ATMs, to try to rob people. When they didn't find any victims, the teenager said the group drove to the area of Oakland High School.
"They robbed three more people with her in the car in the back seat," said the brother.
At one point, he said they drove to Bayfair Mall and other places looking for people to rob.
The brother said the kidnappers finally released his sister in a residential neighborhood near Interstate 580 the next morning.
She borrowed a cell phone to message her boyfriend to let him know what happened.
She's now back at home with her family.
"I want these men caught. I want justice. I don't want them to keep robbing more people, assaulting and kidnapping anybody else because obviously, this is something they do regularly," said the brother.
The 16-year-old said she does not know the kidnappers.
She said they drove a silver Lexus sedan with tinted windows and dents in the back of the car.
Amber Lee is a reporter with KTVU. Email Amber at Amber.Lee@Fox.com or text/leave message at 510-599-3922. Follow her on facebook @AmberKTVU, instagram @AmberKTVU or twitter @AmberKTVU