SAN JOSE — Police have arrested one man and are seeking another suspect in connection with a series of smash-and-grab robberies targeting Asian women, where the pair allegedly boxed in motorists in parking lots then reached into or broke into their cars and took purses and other items while the victims were inside.
San Jose police robbery detectives traveled to Oakland on Wednesday and arrested 23-year-old Hassani Burleson-Ramsey on suspicion of multiple counts of felony robbery and misdemeanor vandalism, authorities said. He is suspected in nine robberies and thefts in San Jose, and up to 30 more in Oakland, Hayward, Newark, Union City and other parts of Alameda County.
Over the past few weeks, police in those cities say they have been taking reports about a pair of men committing thefts where, in numerous instances, a driver would block a car that was either parked or in the process of parking, while another man outside on foot smashed a window or reached into the passenger side of the targeted vehicle and took a purse and other items.
San Jose police released surveillance video of two such thefts, on April 12 and April 16, when announcing the arrest Thursday, with excerpted footage posted online at youtu.be/kwWmu4j6xjg. Several of the victims, who police said are all “female and members of the AAPI community,” later reported fraudulent purchases on their credit cards and other activity indicating identity theft.
A second suspect is being sought, and police are asking for public tips in identifying that person. Anyone with information for investigators can contact robbery Detective Amanda Estantino at 408-277-4166 or leave a tip with Silicon Valley Crime Stoppers at 408-947-7867 or at svcrimestoppers.org.
