Fingerprint evidence recovered from the stolen vehicle led investigators to one suspect, who has pleaded not guilty.
OAKLAND, CA – A man became the victim of an armed kidnapping and carjacking in Oakland after two women got into his 2018 Mazda and forced him to hand over cash before stealing the vehicle, according to Oakland police.
The man told investigators he had gone out in search of food when the two women entered his car and produced a knife. They ordered him to drive to a Grocery Outlet on Broadway before directing him to an ATM, police said. There, officers said, the suspects forced him to send $1,000 through Zelle and attempt to withdraw additional cash. The women then left him barefoot in the parking lot and drove off in his Mazda, according to police.
Investigators later located the vehicle at the Palms Hotel in Oakland and recovered fingerprints from inside the car that helped identify one of the suspects. Twenty-four-year-old Juliana Kriston of San Leandro was arrested June 17 and booked on kidnapping, carjacking and robbery charges. She has pleaded not guilty. Kriston was released following a court appearance under a restriction that limits her movement to court dates, attorney meetings and medical appointments. She is next scheduled to appear in court July 17.
The second suspect has not been publicly identified or charged. In court filings, Kriston reportedly referred to the second woman only as “Sara.” Kriston also described the encounter in court filings as a dispute over money, a characterization that has not been independently confirmed and stands apart from the felony charges filed against her.
According to court records, the victim initially hesitated to press charges, telling investigators he feared retaliation. Detectives are continuing to review surveillance footage and forensic evidence recovered from the vehicle and are pursuing additional leads.
Prosecutors cited the alleged use of a weapon and the theft of the vehicle in filing felony charges against Kriston. Oakland police said the investigation remains active and are asking anyone with information about the second suspect to come forward.
