Former Sen. Boxer robbed in Oakland
Former U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer of California was assaulted and robbed Monday afternoon in downtown Oakland.
According to a statement from Boxer’s office, the assailant pushed her in the back, stole her cell phone and jumped into a waiting car. She was not seriously injured.
The Oakland Police Department confirmed that at 1:15 p.m., while a victim was walking in the 300 block of Third Street, they were approached by a suspect, who forcefully “took loss from the victim,” and fled into a waiting vehicle. The incident is currently being investigated, and police declined to release the identity of the victim. The area of the assault is near Jack London Square.
The attack took place just hours after Oakland’s top federal and local law enforcement representatives pledged to take a tougher stance against criminals to deter violence at a Monday news conference.
Law enforcement and Asian American community advocates gathered in response to what police described as two “brazen daytime” armed robberies in the same location in Chinatown earlier this month.
Justin Berton, a spokesperson for Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf, said the mayor was “deeply troubled to learn of the assault and robbery of Sen. Boxer today.”
“She spoke with the Senator’s family to extend her well wishes for a speedy recovery and was relieved to learn she was not seriously injured,” he said via email. He added that police are working to collect any surveillance images from the area that will assist in their investigation.
The Department and Crime Stoppers of Oakland are offering up to $2,000 in reward money for information that leads to an arrest in this case. Anyone with information is asked to call OPD’s Robbery Section at 5102383326 or the Crime Stoppers tip line at 5107778572.