Who Was Jennifer Angel? Oakland Baker Dragged 50 Feet While Chasing Thieves, Dies At Hospital

The owner of the popular bakery Angel Cakes, based in Oakland, California, has died after being robbed in a parking lot and from the injuries she sustained during the violent incident earlier this week.

The incident took place Monday. Jennifer Angel, 48, was put in a medically-induced coma at the hospital and died Wednesday, according to an update from her family.

Angel was believed to be running errands for the store when she was attacked by the suspects. They approached her and blocked her with their car as she was leaving her parking spot in the Wells Fargo garage on the 2000 block of Webster Street.

According to her fiancé, Ocean Mottley, the robber smashed the passenger side window glass and appeared to take something from the car, SFChronicle reported. At this point, Angel exited her vehicle and started to chase the robbery suspects on foot. This is when the tragedy occurred.

Trigger Warning – Graphic Details

Angel was pursuing the suspects and managed to reach the fleeing vehicle. However, she got caught in the door and was dragged by the speeding vehicle for more than 50 feet before falling on the street. Her head collided with the ground several times, her fiancé was cited as saying by ABC7.

Angel was taken to the Highland Hospital after she failed to respond to commands from emergency responders. She was put into a medically-induced coma. She was operated upon and doctors removed part of her skull after her brain swelled up significantly. The swelling persisted, and she remained unconscious in a critical condition.

Angel died at 8:48 p.m. ET (5:48 p.m. PT) Wednesday after being "medically declared to have lost all brain function" by doctors who said they don't expect her to regain consciousness.

Who Was Jennifer Angel?

Angel was a social movement activist and anarchist. In light of her deep commitment to community and social justice, her family made two announcements.

"Jen did not believe in state violence, carceral punishment, or incarceration as an effective or just solution to social violence and inequity," read an update on the GoFundMe campaign started by her friends and family to pay for a number of expenses which includes keeping the community-based bakery running.

It said that Angel believed in "community members relying on one another, leading with love, centering the needs of the most vulnerable, and not resorting to vengeance and inflicting more harm." Her friends and family aren't in support of arresting the ones involved in Angel's death. However, if the police do make an arrest, her family is committed to pushing for restorative justice and pursuing all available alternatives to traditional prosecution.

The second announcement came from her doctors who said Angel's organs will be donated, as per her wish, and this will help improve the quality of lives of up to 70 people.

As for the GoFundMe campaign, donations continue to pour in. So far, 1,600 donors have contributed $108,564. The goal is $150,000. The money will be used to support Angel's fiancé to pay for household expenses, cover her mom's travel to Oakland and living expenses, and keep the bakery running.