Oakland 76 Gas Station Owner Criticizes Police Response Time After Massive Looting Incident

An Oakland business owner is demanding action from local authorities after his 76 gas station on Hegenberger Road was ransacked by a massive mob. The store owner, Sam Mardaie, expressed immense frustration with the Oakland Police Department's response time after it took officers nine hours to arrive at the scene following the call for help.

The incident unfolded early on a Friday morning, around 4:00 to 4:30 a.m., when a large crowd of approximately 80 to 100 individuals—who had allegedly gathered for a nearby sideshow—descended upon the gas station. At the time, the store was operating only via window service for security reasons. However, the crowd managed to breach the entrance, spending roughly 30 to 40 minutes inside, systematically looting the business.

Mardaie estimated the total damages and losses to be around $100,000. The looters stole merchandise, the cash register, and an ATM containing approximately $22,000, destroying anything they could not carry away. Despite employees calling 911 immediately, officers did not arrive until late in the afternoon, approximately nine hours later.

According to the Oakland Police Department, the initial call was received after the suspects had already fled, meaning the incident was no longer an active scene. Due to other high-priority calls, it was not immediately dispatched. However, business owners in the Hegenberger Road corridor state that this event is part of a broader, troubling trend of rising crime that has already forced the closures of major nearby businesses, including In-N-Out Burger, Starbucks, and Denny’s.