Police Arrest Suspects In $30K West Portal Cell Phone Store Theft

Police Arrest Suspects In $30K West Portal Cell Phone Store TheftPhoto: San Francisco Police Department
Will Carruthers
Published on December 02, 2016

The San Francisco Police Department has arrested five men who are suspected in the burglary of a West Portal cell phone store early on the morning of October 22nd.

That morning, three masked men entered the store on the 200 block of West Portal Avenue and left with a large safe containing $30,000 worth of cell phones and other electronics, according to an SFPD press release. (The police didn't specify the name of the store, but the only business on the block that sells cell phones appears to be the AT&T store at 244 West Portal Ave., which has since closed.)

After investigating the crime, Taraval Station's plainclothes unit identified one suspect and a vehicle used in the burglary. The plainclothes officers began to follow the suspect, and on November 3rd, they witnessed him and four other men robbing another store in Dixon, CA. This time, the five masked men stole a safe containing $40,000 of cell phones. SFPD and Highway Patrol officers stopped two getaway cars leaving the store in Dixon, and arrested the five men.

The suspects arrested are all Oakland residents: Layne Bishop, 33; Duane Bishop, 36; William Owens, 36; Christian Bishop, 24; and Alvin Chambers, 32. The five men were booked into Solano County jail on charges of burglary, grand theft, conspiracy, and possession of burglary tools. All the men save for Duane Bishop were already on probation; Christian Bishop and Alvin Chambers were specifically on probation for burglary. 

On November 11th, while conducting searches related to the case in Oakland, officers found $105,000 in cash, as well as cell phones and electronics worth $25,000.

The police are still searching for a sixth suspect in the case.