A recent high school graduate from Florida was planning on going to college in Oakland, California, but his family now plans to withdraw his enrollment after visiting the city. Rhomel Crossman and his family flew into town, as his family was planning on dropping him off at Lincoln University, reported KTVU.
However, their plans changed when they went to pick up food at a Jamaican restaurant near the school. The family rented a car to use during their trip and drove it to the restaurant, according to the outlet.
Since they were just picking up food, they were only away from their rental car for about 15 minutes. They parked the car a block away from campus, reported KTVU.
When they returned to the rental car, they found that someone had broken into the car and all of their belongings had been stolen.
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The break-in was especially devastating for the family because of all of the important items they were traveling with, including their passports and social security cards, the teen's diploma and birth certificate, and a sleep apnea machine.
Five suitcases and thousands of dollars worth of belongings were stolen from the vehicle, reported KTVU. The crime made the family rethink Rhomel's college choice, and also caused sleeping problems for Rhomel's aunt, who lost her sleep apnea machine.
The crime occurred fairly early in the evening, and Rhomel's mom, Nerissa Murray Watson, said she was surprised by what happened.
"I didn’t know that these things happen in America so it’s really strange to me," she told KTVU.
"Everything is totally gone," she added.
Earlier this year, KRON4 reported that Oakland's homicide and assault rates were decreasing, but the city saw an increase in robberies.
On June 11, 2024, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced that overall crime in Oakland has decreased by 33%. This decrease in crime includes fewer burglaries and fewer car break-ins, according to the news release.
