Teen mob terrorizes strap hangers in Bay Area transit robbery

A mob of 40 to 60 teens leaped the turnstiles and swarmed a Bay Area Rapid Transit train at the Oakland Coliseum station, robbing and assaulting at least seven passengers Saturday night, according to published reports.

Police are now reviewing surveillance video in an attempt to identify perpetrators.

Police told reporters that after storming the train, some of the youths held open the doors of a Dublin-bound train car while others streamed in, robbing and beating riders, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.

A police report states the teens “committed multiple strong-arm robberies of bags and cellphones. At least two victims suffered head/facial injuries requiring medical attention.”

BART spokeswoman Alicia Trost told reporters the teens began jumping the gates at 9:26 p.m. Seven people reported losing a purse, a duffel bag and five phones — six on the train and one on the platform.

While some people were physically assaulted, no guns or other weapons were shown, police said.

As quickly as they had attacked, the teens fled, exiting the station and disappearing into the surrounding neighborhood of East Oakland before BART police could respond. The train that was hit was held for about 15 minutes as authorities investigated the crime and tended to the injured.

“We are in the process of pulling all surveillance video and we will share with Oakland police, Oakland Unified School District and Oakland Housing Authority to see if they can help identify the minors,” Trost told reporters. “We have had success with sharing images of juveniles with this group and identifying and making arrests in the past.”

Authorities said the mass attack was unprecedented. Police presence at stations has been increased.