Photo: officer, center, prior to attack
ALAMEDA COUNTY — Seven teenagers were arrested for violent crimes committed during the Thanksgiving holiday shopping weekend. The incidents involve an assault, robbery, shooting and an attack on an off-duty officer. All these crimes occurred outside stores that were open late.
On Thanksgiving, five teens were arrested by patrol officers in Fremont. Officers were responding to a robbery and a shooting outside the Target store located at Fremont Hub.
Several persons began calling police and reported gunfire in front of the store at 11:38 p.m. Multiple shots were fired after a group of teens got into an altercation with security guards. No injuries were reported.
Security initially confronted the group for stealing video games and other items. An associate who drove up during the scuffle fired multiple shots up into the air. Moments later the group piled into the car and fled, leaving behind the parking lot littered with bullet casings.
A witness provided a description and direction the getaway car was traveling. The vehicle was located near Mowry Avenue and Glenview Drive, but the driver refused to pull over.
A police chase ensued lasting about three minutes. The vehicle was finally stopped, near Central Avenue and Cedar Boulevard in Newark.
Four occupants of the vehicle were detained and taken into custody. A fifth suspect attempted to run away before being arrested. The suspects ranged in age from 17 to 19.
From inside the car, officers recovered a loaded firearm and items stolen from the store. The older suspects were not identified by Fremont PD in what is being called an ongoing investigation.
Elsewhere in Emeryville, several juveniles ages 14 to 16 were detained following an assault and robbery. These incidents happened at Bay Street Mall on November 29 at 8 p.m. Two of the teens were taken into custody for choking an off-duty California Highway Patrol officer to the point of unconsciousness.
The officer had witnessed a juvenile group attacking a woman and he attempted to intervene. Next the kids turned their attention on the officer and began punching and choking him. He briefly passed out, but regained consciousness, as the teens continued assaulting the woman.
The CHP officer intervened a second time to halt the assault on the woman. The officer peppered sprayed one of the assailants. Emeryville police arrived on the scene next and detained the group of teenagers and arrested two of them.
