Man Accused Of Dozens Of Smash-And-Grab Robberies Arrested

HAYWARD, CA — A man accused of at least five and as many as 37 robberies in Hayward has been arrested, and police in multiple cities believe that he may be responsible for other robberies in Union City, Newark, Oakland, San Jose, and unincorporated areas of Alameda County.

Hassani Burleson-Ramsey of Oakland was arrested and booked into the Santa Clara County Main Jail for multiple counts of felony robbery and misdemeanor vandalism.

Investigators believe he is responsible for a series of smash and grab robberies over the last several months.

"In most of these cases, the suspects watched victims after they conducted a bank transaction or purchased items in different shopping centers," Hayward Police said in a press release. "Once the victims got into their vehicles, the suspects smashed the windows of the cars, stole the victim’s property from inside, and fled the area. On several occasions, these suspects approached the victims before they reached their cars and forcibly took the victim’s property. Most of these victims are female and are members of the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community."

Hayward Police, in connection with San Jose Police, arrested Burleson-Ramsey on Wednesday. Another suspect still outstanding who has not been identified.

If you have any information about these attacks, contact Hayward Police Detective Niedenthal at 510-293-7167. The Hayward Police Department case number is 2021-018532.