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Oakland police are trying to figure out how one of its patrol cars was stolen early Tuesday morning in the Redwood Heights neighborhood -- the second time in less than two months that a police car from the department was taken.

Oakland police spokeswoman Johnna Watson said that a marked SUV was stolen about 1:45 a.m. from the 2600 block of 74th Avenue in the Eastmont neighborhood. Eleven minutes later, she said, it was found at Tompkins and Vale avenues in Redwood Heights. She said nothing was taken from the car.

But this is not the first time an Oakland police vehicle was stolen.

On July 5, a civilian police car was taken, driven to San Francisco, and then recovered in West Oakland.

The white Ford Escape was stolen at 21st and Myrtle streets while police were investigating an assault case.


When police tracked down the vehicle an hour and a half later near the Bay Bridge toll plaza, they found a dog in the back seat.

A 31-year-old woman was arrested on auto theft charges.

