Series of burglaries in Oberhausen: police search successful

Since the beginning of September 2022, over 20 break-ins have been reported in schools and daycare centers in Oberhausen. Doors and cupboards have been broken open and ransacked by the unknown perpetrators, as well as various items of damage. The total property damage caused is in the six-figure range. In mid-October, investigators from the Oberhausen Youth Police Department launched a large-scale appeal for witnesses, asking residents of schools, kindergartens and other educational institutions to be particularly vigilant and provide information. Parents should also be on the lookout for videos or photos of possible crimes on their children's smartphones.

At the same time, the investigators followed up on tips about suspicious children and young people who had attracted attention in the immediate vicinity of known crime scenes and evaluated the evidence collected at the crime scenes. Together with the new leads generated by the "media impact", the investigators focused on a number of children and young people who had already made an appearance in connection with police operations. Last Friday (21.10.), a group of children and young people were caught red-handed by Oberhausen civilian investigators from the ET-K during an attempted burglary and transported to the police station together with patrol car crews. Further investigations, statements from suspects and witnesses have now confirmed the suspicion that a group of around a dozen children and young people aged between nine and 16 could be responsible for several dozen crimes. The children and one teenager are said to have committed several acts in different combinations.

During a press conference today (27.10.), the head of the youth commissioner's office, First Chief Detective Inspector Ralf Weyer, and the lead investigator, Chief Detective Inspector Torsten Schreiber, informed media representatives about the current state of the investigation.