Suspects break into East Bay shop before causing deadly wrong-way crash near Bay Bridge

ByGloria Rodríguez and Leslie Brinkley KGO logo

Wednesday, March 20, 2024

Burglary suspects involved in deadly wrong-way crash near Bay Bridge

What began as an overnight break-in at an East Bay tobacco store, developed into a police chase and deadly wrong-way crash near the Bay Bridge.

OAKLAND, Calif. (KGO) -- What began as an overnight break-in at an East Bay tobacco store, quickly developed into a police chase and deadly wrong-way crash near the Bay Bridge.

Surveillance video shows a pickup truck backing into Tobacco Outlet on San Pablo Ave in El Cerrito, busting through the storefront around 4:30 a.m. Tuesday.

UPDATE: Suspects break into East Bay shop before causing deadly wrong-way crash near Bay Bridge

Two masked thieves, a 34-year-old man from Oakland and a 56-year-old man from San Francisco, can be seen filling the bed of the truck with what they could, and at one point even taking a full case of stuff.

"This is a common occurrence now as you know. It's been happening more and more," the owner Omar said, noting the suspects then took off.

Omar said his shop has now been broken into six times, but that this was the worst one.

VIDEO: Oakland business owners fed up after 6 Temescal Alley shops burglarized in 1 night

Several shops along Temescal Alley in Oakland were burglarized overnight, business owners discovered Friday morning.

CHP Oakland says the suspects led El Cerrito Police on a chase, which was then called off.

Shortly after, authorities say the suspects drove the wrong way on the Westbound I-580 connector to Westbound I-80, which is the approach to the Bay Bridge.

The truck hit two other vehicles head-on, killing one of the drivers and seriously injuring the other.

MORE: Here's what CHP says is behind most deadly wrong-way driver crashes in the state

The two people inside the wrong-way vehicle also suffered major injuries.

Two lanes of the ramp were closed for several hours, causing a massive traffic backup for commuters.

As for Omar, he's not sure what's next for his business since he says it will cost him $50,000 to reopen.

"I'm ready to walk away at this point just done with it," he said. "I'm so heartbroken and angry that some innocent person going about their day, going to work that was it for them because scumbags decided to be scumbags."

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