{Oakland] Police, baffled by attacks on liquor stores, add patrols

San Francisco Chronicle ^ | 11/26/5 | Rick DelVecchio, Jim Herron Zamora

[SmithL]

Dressy appearance of vandals consistent with Nation of Islam, official in West Oakland says -

A surveillance video showing a dozen men in suits and bow ties filing into a West Oakland liquor store and confronting the manager before destroying rows of liquor bottles provides detailed images that could pinpoint the culprits and lead to hate crime charges, police said Friday.

The men who smashed up San Pablo Liquor at 11:30 p.m. Wednesday staged an almost identical attack about 10 minutes later at another West Oakland corner store, New York Market, police said. Deputy Police Chief Howard Jordan said no suspects have been identified, but the vandals' appearance points to a possible link to the Nation of Islam.

"A bunch of young African American men dressed in black suits, white shirts and bow ties -- consistent with the apparel of members of the Nation of Islam -- vandalized two stores," Jordan said, adding that investigators are taking steps to contact the group's hierarchy. "They told the owners not to sell alcohol in the African American community, and they began to vandalize the property."

No one was hurt in either incident, Jordan said.

Both liquor stores are in the same general neighborhood as a bakery and other businesses run by successors of the late Black Muslim leader Yusuf Bey, a follower of the Nation of Islam. Three members of the group have been victims of violence since Bey died in 2003, including Bey's 23-year-old-son, Antar, who was shot to death last month in what police believe was an attempted carjacking.

Workers at the Bey group's Black Muslim Bakery store on San Pablo Avenue said no one was available Friday to comment on the incidents at the liquor stores.

[SmithL]

Follow-up to yesterday's stories

[Mears]

There goes the neighborhood-----again!

[11Bush]

Guess they will be able to id the perps when the next shop owner shoots one or more. Hope it is the more option.

[ExcursionGuy84]

Neo-Prohibitionists perhaps???

[luvbach1]

Memo to liquor store vandals: Tell your people not to buy/drink liquor. Of course in your warped minds it's justified to commit a much greater crime than selling liquor.

[beltfed308]

Joshua D. Goldenson was on the job at New York Market, at Market and 35th streets, when a dozen men wearing bow ties and dark suits walked in. They had a baseball bat. He said one of the men asked him if he were Muslim.

TROP alert.

[minus_273]

i like how they dont mention that one of the stores was run by anther muslim and the asked "as a muslim how can you run this store?" .

[Right Wing Assault]

If the police are really baffled, they are pretty stupid. I doubt they are. The MSM is pretending to be baffled.

[Flashman_at_the_charge]

... first they came for the smokers ...

[pageonetoo]

Nicely dressed, devoted men...

[Eagles Talon IV]

This is the work of Republican youth groups sent out by the RNC to rob stores while posing as Muslims. This is being done to raise Bushs approval ratings by frightening Americans into believing we are under attack on the home front.

[Keli Kilohana]

I think it is that land-lubbin' BowTie The Pirate from Somalia!

[Blake#1]

Here is my explanation (for what is it worth). Religious people are opposed to the hedonistic life style. The life style of "Sodom and Gomorra". It is a philosophy that will bind Christians, Muslims, Jews, et. al., to create a culture to their liking. In time these "religious people" will prevail!

[ExcursionGuy84]

And I'll wager his answer was:

"Well, because I couldn't join the car-bomb service because I couldn't get a license with my Illegal Alien status."

[traderrob6]

Methodists

[1066AD]

hate crime charges.

Huh ?

[SmithL]

... first they came for the smokers ...

Why can't they just go after the harmonica players and leave the rest of us alone?

[Banjoguy]

One stake out success would put an instant stop to it. In Atlanta, one video showing a stake out squad taking out a couple of gun wielding thieves, put a virtual halt to 7-11 robberies and murders. (Of course the black community started
using the 'R' word.) "They didn't deserve to die for robbin' a store."

[SmithL]

hate crime charges.
Huh ?

Arabs being singled out by blacks. Go figure.

[Larry Lucido]

They meant to say "Libs are baffled - crimes committed despite gun laws, tax and spend programs, midnight basketball and regular singing of 'Kumbaya.'"