OAKLAND — A woman critically injured Monday afternoon when she was dragged by a car after a robbery in a parking lot is a well-known, highly respected owner of an Oakland bakery, according to Bay Area News Group sources and friends who know her.
Jen Angel, as she is known professionally, was in extremely critical condition Wednesday at an Oakland hospital. She is the owner of Angel Cakes, a bakery which has a large Bay Area clientele.
Angel, 48, a longtime caterer and baker, opened her business in 2016 in the Victorian that once housed TJ’s Gingerbread House, a local landmark.
The Fifth Street bakery, which specializes in cupcakes and custom cakes, was open for business Wednesday with shaken employees filling orders.
“We are still kind of overwhelmed,” said a clerk who was awaiting updates on Angel’s condition and any fundraising efforts.
Angel created her business in 2008 and opened the Fifth Street site in March 2016.
According to the bakery’s website, Angel Cakes “is a small-batch bakery” that in addition to cupcakes makes cakes, cookies, cakesicles, and other treats. They also provide dessert catering for events.
According to the site, before cupcaking full-time, Angel worked as an independent media and community activist.
She was robbed of her purse about 12:29 p.m. Monday in the 2000 block of Webster Street, in the rear parking lot of a Wells Fargo Bank branch.
A man broke the window of her car, snatched her purse and got into a waiting vehicle driven by another person.
When she tried to get her purse back, she became caught in the vehicle door and was dragged more than 50 feet before falling off in the street. She suffered critical head and other injuries.
Police believe the suspects in Angel’s robbery are responsible for several other similar robberies and vehicle burglaries in the city. Police have not announced any arrests or released any suspect information.
Police and Crime Stoppers of Oakland are offering up to $7,500 in reward money for information leading to the arrests of the suspects. Anyone with information may call police at 510-238-3326 or 510-238-7950 or Crime Stoppers at 510-777-8572.
A GoFundMe fund-raising campaign set up Wednesday morning to raise money for medical care, travel and support costs, as well as for the bakery, had raised $56,993, surpassing a $50,000 goal as of 11 p.m. Wednesday. This campaign was online at https://www.gofundme.com/f/love-and-support-for-jen-angel.
Staff writers Linda Zavoral and George Kelly contributed to this report.
