Stolen Mazda Miata Painted Black By Thieves
Stolen 911 Case #23-0023 - Stolen 1999 Mazda Miata MX-5 - Oakland, CA
UPDATE - RECOVERED 2/2/2023
This classic white Mazda Miata was stolen in Oakland on 1/26/2023. The owner had installed an Apple AirTag Bluetooth Tracker in the vehicle. Over the next week, the vehicle was tracked throughout the east bay. Even though the owner was getting updates, OPD could not assist with tracking the stolen Miata. The owner then reached out to me through Stolen 911. What we did not know at the time, is that the crooks had painted the once beautiful white Miata, a now crappy black.
On Tuesday, 1/31/2023, I was following up on a possible location in Berkeley. After not seeing the Miata and waiting for a location update, I drove out to the notorious Wood Street area where hundreds of stolen vehicles have been recovered over the years. While at the intersection of 18th St and Wood St, I observed an older, and very smokey, red Honda Civic drive past. It was followed by a black Mazda Miata with no license plates. All my senses told me that both vehicles were probably stolen since the Miata was definitely following the Honda. My theory is the crooks use the Mazda, to drive around for other cars easy to steal. Once they find a vehicle, the passenger gets out, breaks into the car, and steals it while the driver of the Miata acts as a cover.
I followed the two vehicles. The suspects parked the Honda and Miata at the intersection of Pine St. and Chase St. I observed both drivers, who were masked up, get out and go through the Honda. The two subjects moved some items from the Honda to the Miata. It was at this time I was notified the stolen white Miata I had been searching for was nearby via an AirTag update, meaning… our stolen Miata was actually the black one I was following. Both thieves then got into the Miata and drove off. I did not follow but I photographed the Honda which still had its license plate.
Apple AirTags Helped Investigators Find Both Stolen Vehicles
I made notifications to members of the Auto Theft Task Force of my observations. They were all unavailable at that time.
Later that night, we determined that the Miata was parked much of the time deep in a homeless camp under Hegenberger on San Leandro Street in East Oakland.
On Thursday, 2/2/2023, I observed the Miata at the homeless camp under Hegenberger. It was parked between several vehicles. A male individual appeared to be pulling parts off another car parked next to it. The irony is he was wearing a shirt that said “Security” on it.
As I was speaking to members of the Auto Theft Task Force on the phone, they mentioned that a victim was tracking his older red Honda via an AirTag at a building near Wood St. I said wait a minute and sent them a photograph of the Honda I saw two days earlier. Yep, it turned out to be the same vehicle. I told them it probably has not moved since I saw it on Tuesday since it was smoking so badly at that time. I was right. The investigator located it where I saw it on Chase Street and made a recovery.
Later that afternoon, the owner of the stolen Miata arrived across the street from the homeless camp under Hegenberger and OPD was called. Four patrol units arrived and drove into the camp. The Miata was inspected and confirmed it was our previously white but now a rattle-can black. The guy in the Security shirt walked off as the PD pulled in.
The Mazda was recovered with all sorts of items in the trunk, some probably from the Honda. All the information has been forwarded to the Auto Theft Task Force.
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