Man Chases Thieves Who Stole His Laptop At Starbucks, Dies

A California man died Tuesday while chasing thieves who snatched his laptop while he was working on it at a Starbucks outlet in Oakland, police said.

The incident occurred shortly after 11 a.m. EST in the 2000 block of Montian Boulevard. The unidentified man, reportedly in his 20s or 30s, suffered severe head injuries and died after being taken to a hospital.

He was working on his laptop while sitting near a window at the Starbucks outlet when the suspects snatched it. He chased them down to where they parked their car, according to the witnesses.

"When the suspect approached and took the laptop the victim chased the suspects right around the corner here to Antioch," John Watson, Oakland police officer, said.

Police didn’t reveal what happened further. The witnesses, however, recalled that the man approached the suspects' car and tried to grab a door handle in a bid to stop them from escaping. The suspects accelerated the car and his head slammed into another parked car in the impact.

Maria Chan, a nearby florist shop owner, said he fell on the street bleeding from his head. "He was bleeding only from the head. His face was purple and blue. Fortunately someone tried to do first aid to help him," she told ABC 7.

Oakland Fire Department personnel witnessed part of the crime and had immediately given him first-aid. The suspects fled the scene in the meanwhile.

This was the 75th murder reported from Oklahoma City in 2019. Police were examining surveillance cameras installed throughout the district to get details about the getaway vehicle. Oakland police also sought the public help to locate the suspects. Anyone with a photo or video of the incident was asked to approach them.