A woman, who witnessed the moment a Starbucks customer chased after two thieves who stole his laptop, has described how the man ‘dived’ into their getaway car before being thrown out and killed when he hit his head on a parked vehicle.
The witness, who only gave her name as Julie said she was with her daughter sitting next to the young man working on his laptop near the front door of the Starbucks in Oakland, California, when the incident unfolded.
She said the victim gave chase and dived through the window of the getaway car as it began to drive off.
‘The guy ran in, grabbed his laptop. The kid who was working chased after him. It happened very fast. The kid [victim] jumped into the car. It was like superman type dive, I mean he made it pretty far into the car,’ she told ABC7.
‘There was a struggle and I think they pushed him out and then he got dragged.’
On Wednesday, the Oakland Police Department tweeted that they arrested two suspects. Police told the DailyMail.com in an emailed statement that: ‘Two Arrests have been made in connection with this Homicide, investigation continues.’
The witness, who only gave her name as Julie (pictured) said she was with her daughter sitting next to the young man working on his laptop near the front door of the Starbucks in Oakland, California, when the incident unfolded
Julie said the victim ‘chased’ after the thieves before jumping into their car. ‘It was like superman type dive, I mean he made it pretty far into the car,’ she said. Authorities are seen outside the Starbucks where the incident occurred
The victim, believed to be in his 20s or 30s, died from head injuries in a hospital on Tuesday after he was dragged by the suspect’s SUV and then flung onto a parked car as it sped off.
Police said the incident happened at around 11.30am at at the Starbucks in the 2000 block of Mountain Boulevard, Montclair Village.
The victim was sitting inside doing work on his computer when one man in a dark hoodie grabbed his laptop and ran to a car waiting outside. He ran out of the building and chased after the thief to try to get his laptop back.
Other witnesses said all three men wore masks. One man grabbed the laptop, while the second man held the coffee shop’s door open and the third drove the getaway car.
Police said the man was found injured on the roadway in the 6100 block of Antioch Street, which was near the Starbucks’ location.
‘He was bleeding only from the head. His face was purple and blue,’ Maria Chan, a florist shop owner across the street, told KTVU.
Other witnesses said three masked men took part in the theft in Montclair Village, in Oakland, California. Aaron Reams was walking with his children when he said the suspect’s getaway vehicle nearly hit them as it sped away from the scene
Oakland police (pictured at the scene) told the DailyMail.com in an emailed statement that: ‘Two Arrests have been made in connection with this Homicide, investigation continues’
She added: ‘His body [is] still in my mind. Such a young man. It’s not worth it to chase after the laptop.’
Jean Miller, who works in her salon near where the young man was struck, could see the victim’s face was covered with blood.
She added: ‘I couldn’t see his face because it was covered with blood. He was lifeless when I was standing there.’
Oakland Police Officer Johnna Watson told reporters there was a ‘getaway vehicle’ waiting outside the coffee shop.
She said: ‘The suspect or suspects got into that vehicle with that laptop. The victim continued to try to get the laptop back and at that time in the 6100 block of Antioch [street] the victim was critically injured.
‘Whether that’s your purse, your wallet, your phone, your laptop. It’s not worth getting injured or possibly losing your life over it.
‘We want to remind our community, property can be replaced but you can not.’
The incident happened at around 11.30am at at the Starbucks in the 2000 block of Mountain Boulevard
Staff with Oakland Fire Department personnel saw some of the incident as they rendered first aid on the man
Police at the scene in Oakland said the victim died in hospital from injuries sustained while trying to chase after the suspected thief
Aaron Reams and his young daughters were just about to cross the intersection at Mountain and La Salle when the black SUV getaway car came racing toward them.
He said: ‘The getaway car kind of blasted through the intersection. We were about one step from getting hit.
‘I made eye contact with that driver when he went through the intersection and I saw that he had a black mask on which was kind of peculiar.
‘Fortunately he saw me and the four kids and avoided us going through the intersection but yeah it was kind of scary.’
Staff with Oakland Fire Department personnel saw some of the incident as they rendered first aid on the man.
Police looked at surveillance footage in the area. In an update on the arrests, Oakland Police Department said: ‘Oakland Police have arrested 2 suspects so far in connection with yesterday’s homicide that occurred in the 2000 block of Mountain Blvd.
‘No further information will be released at this time. The investigation continues.’
The identities of the two suspects or the victim has not yet been released.