Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee’s city-owned vehicle stolen from City Hall, police union says

By Carlos E. Castañeda

A vehicle used to transport Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee was stolen this week from City Hall after someone removed the keys from her office, a spokesman for the police officers’ union said Wednesday.

Oakland Police Officers Association spokesman Sam Singer told CBS News Bay Area that the black Ford Expedition SUV used by Lee’s security detail was later recovered by police in Vallejo and that the department had a warrant out for a suspect.

Neither the Oakland Police Department nor Lee confirmed that it was her vehicle that was stolen or that someone had stolen the keys from her office. The department told CBS News Bay Area on Wednesday that it was investigating the theft of a city-owned vehicle from City Hall and that it was notified about the theft on Tuesday. 

“The vehicle was recovered within hours. OPD is following up on potential leads,” the statement said. “As this is an ongoing investigation, no further information is available at this time.”

Lee issued her own statement later on Wednesday. 

“As with criminal cases such as this, the Oakland Police Department is actively investigating, and we cannot comment further at this time,” Lee said. “No one in Oakland should have to worry about their car being stolen, whether they’re a resident, a city worker, or the Mayor. Public safety is a priority across our entire city.”

There was no word on whether anything from inside the vehicle was stolen.