Thief Steals Mayor’s SUV After Breaking into City Office, Say Police

This week, the city of Oakland, California, faced an unusual incident when the mayor’s official SUV was stolen. The theft occurred on Presidents Day, when City Hall was closed, adding an unexpected twist to the holiday.

Details of the incident were shared by Sam Singer, a spokesperson for the Oakland Police Officer’s Association. Speaking to Fox News Digital on Friday, Singer explained, “Someone broke into the mayor’s office, snatched the keys to her car, and proceeded to the City Hall parking lot to steal the vehicle. This happened on Monday.” Mayor Barbara Lee promptly reported the theft, as did her staff.

Fortunately, the stolen SUV was recovered approximately 24 hours later, bringing some relief to the situation. The swift resolution was further underscored by the Oakland Police Department’s announcement on Thursday that a suspect had been apprehended.

The unexpected theft of the city-owned vehicle, especially on a public holiday, serves as a reminder of the occasional vulnerabilities in public office security and the quick response required to address such breaches.

The mayor of Oakland, California’s city-owned SUV was stolen this week when City Hall was closed for President’s Day. (Lea Suzuki/San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)

“This afternoon, the Oakland Police Department (OPD) arrested a suspect in connection with [the] theft of a city-owned vehicle,” the department said on Facebook. “This is an active ongoing investigation. No additional details are being released at this time.”

Singer identified the suspect to Fox News Digital as Logan Tell DeSilva, 29, who was reportedly arrested on suspicion of burglary, auto theft and vandalism after the SUV was found in Vallejo.

The SUV is used to take the mayor to and from official events, FOX 2 reported.

Fox News Digital has reached out to the OPD for comment.

“No one in Oakland should have to worry about their car being stolen, whether they’re a resident, a city worker, or the Mayor,” Lee said in a statement earlier this week. “Public safety is a priority across our entire city.”

After her official SUV was stolen, Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee said safety is a top priority for the city.  (Santiago Mejia/San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)

The theft comes months after the Oakland Police Officers Association claimed that the city had defunded the police, which Singer reiterated to Fox News Digital on Friday, adding that City hall uses private security and the city spends more than $20 million for private security for all its city properties. 

“Crime in Oakland continues to be out of control because there’s not enough police officers and the mayor herself has now become a victim,” Singer told Fox News Digital. 

Huy Nguyen, president of the Oakland Police Officer’s Association, told KRON-TV last year, “The operational strength is about 530, so realistically, we’re down 300 police officers plus in our city just to be at a baseline.”

Oakland police at a crime scene. (Jane Tyska/Digital First Media/East Bay Times via Getty Images)

The union added in a statement last year that the city’s new budget will “result in further defunding in the Oakland Police Department and increase the danger of crime for residents and businesses.”

Lee told FOx News Digital: “As with criminal cases such as this, the Oakland Police Department is actively investigating, and we cannot comment further at this time. No one in Oakland should have to worry about their car being stolen, whether they’re a resident, a city worker, or the Mayor. Public safety is a priority across our entire city.” 

Her office also sent Fox News Digital statistics showing areas where they had increased police, including $220,000 for Oakland Police Department Academy Outreach, $1.4 million for sideshow prevention detail, and $700,000 for human trafficking special operations. 

“Additional recent OPD staffing support efforts led by the Mayor include launching the Merritt College pre-academy program for recruiting officers — and the Mayor securing $900,000 to reinstate police cadet program,” her office said, adding, “Mayor Lee is committed to getting to 700 officers as approved by voters in Measure NN.” 

While recent data has shown violent crime trending down in Oakland, the city was named the second most dangerous place to live by U.S. News and World Report for 2025-2026. Memphis, Tennessee, nabbed the top spot.