BART police arrested two teenagers and detained eight others Tuesday after a series of cell phone thefts at three different stations, and they warned passengers to take steps to protect their property.
The arrests happened at the West Oakland, 12th Street/Oakland City Center and Powell Street stations. Authorities were working to determine how many thefts took place and how many they suspect the teens are responsible for.
Police said the offenders are all between 14 and 16 years old.
“We’ve seen a surge in cell phone thefts in San Francisco between the Glen Park and Powell Street stations,” Interim BART Police Chief Ed Alvarez said in a statement. “We’re deploying as many officers as we can, but we need help from our riders.”
According to Alvarez, riders should look up regularly from their electronic devices and pay attention to what is happening near them. They also should put their phones away when the doors open, he said.
“Most cell phone thefts on BART are crimes of opportunity,” he said.
The incidents involving the teens appear to be grab-and-go thefts, police said. There is no indication that any weapons were used, and there were no injuries reported, police said.
Police took two of the teens to juvenile hall in Alameda County and booked them on suspicion of attempted robbery. The other teens were detained and released to their parents or guardians.
