An Oakland shopping center seems to be at the center of a car break-in spree.
In at least one recent case, thieves broke into a car while the driver was still inside.
Video footage of the incident shows the moments an SUV cases the shopping plaza on 98th Avenue. The thieves drive around twice, and during the second pass, the passenger gets out, peeks in the window of the car they're targeting and then appears to drive off. Seconds later, the SUV backs up and the thief opens Tyson Wrench's trunk and steals his backpack.
"There was nothing that I could’ve done," Wrench said. "Quite frankly, I'm kind of happy that I was oblivious because this guy is wearing gloves and ski mask."
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Wrench was driving a rental car on his way to pick up a friend from the Oakland airport last Thursday when it happened. Initially, Wrench thought he accidentally opened the trunk, until he realized his backpack carrying his passport, computer and other essentials was missing.
"It's not stopping because they are not being punished," Wrench said. "This is now their job."
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On Monday, Wrench went back to the same parking lot to do an interview about the first break-in only to have thieves break in again. This time they smashed his window but got away with nothing.
Nearby businesses and customers said cars are being targeted multiple times a day and it's driving away business.
On Tuesday, a break-in happened right in front of NBC Bay Area's crew. In a matter of seconds, thieves broke into another car in the same parking lot while the driver was pumping gas.
The victim, who is from Seattle, was also driving a rental car and had her purse and ID taken.
Many people think the area is being targeted because of its proximity to the airport and Interstate 580.
Although auto burglaries occur throughout the day, Oakland police said that there has been an increase in auto burglaries in the mornings.
