Berkeley auto theft case leads police to Oakland chop shop
Officers found more than 50 vehicles that had been stripped for parts, and several that had been set on fire.
Vehicle thefts in Berkeley have been falling for the past two years. Now, they're going up.
July has seen the most cars stolen of any month this year, with 64 taken as of Monday, the most recent date available. The final tally could be at least 10 cars higher.
Current data from the Berkeley Police Department show a 10% increase over last year at this time, with about 340 cars stolen as of Monday.
On a recent day in Berkeley, police got eight reports of stolen cars. Two days later, they got six more. Most days see two or three cars taken.
This week, Berkeley police described how an investigative lead from one recent case took them to an East Oakland chop shop, where they found "more than 50 vehicles that had been stripped for parts, along with several vehicles that had been completely burned."
During the investigation, police also found four Hondas stolen from Berkeley, along with a fifth car, that were "staged for pickup" in East Oakland between 50th Avenue and 66th Avenue along the railroad tracks.
"Each vehicle had been stripped of parts, with the engines removed," Berkeley police said this week.
Officers set up surveillance and saw several people load the stolen engines into a pickup truck the next morning, on July 23, police said.
Mapped: Car thefts in Berkeley since June 1. BPD Transparency Hub
Members of the Alameda County Regional Auto Theft Task Force (CHP officers, Oakland police and Alameda County Probation) then picked up the surveillance, which led them to the chop shop.
There, they arrested two men on suspicion of possession of stolen property, dismantling or tampering with a vehicle, and operating a chop shop, police said.
One of the men was also arrested on an outstanding warrant for robbery and assault with a deadly weapon, BPD said.
As of this week, neither man is in custody, with charges not yet filed, according to police and jail records.
"The investigation remains ongoing as detectives work to identify additional suspects connected to this operation," Berkeley police said in a prepared statement.
Most-stolen cars in Berkeley: Honda Accords, Civics
Honda Accords and Civics made since 2024 have been the biggest targets for auto theft in Berkeley this year, police said.
During their recent investigation alone, they identified more than 25 Honda sedans that had been taken in recent weeks.
Even with the apparent increase, Berkeley auto thefts still appear to be lower than they have been in years.
In their announcement this week, Berkeley police credited Flock license plate readers and other tools for helping find the stolen cars.
They thanked the Oakland Police Department, Alameda County Regional Auto Theft Task Force, California Highway Patrol and Union Pacific Police Department "for their collaboration and assistance throughout this investigation."
Berkeley police tips to limit auto theft
Berkeley police said the following preventive tips can help reduce the risk of auto theft.
- Use a steering wheel lock
- Park in a well-lit area or secured garage whenever possible
- Consider installing an On-Board Diagnostics (OBD) port lock to prevent thieves from accessing a port that can be used to "program new keys and steal keyless-start vehicles in a matter of minutes."
Read more facts about auto theft from the California Highway Patrol.
