The Alameda Police Department (APD) is warning the public about fake parking citations being “issued” throughout the city. An APD records clerk noticed a fraudulent ticket when a resident brought it in to make a payment. Police believe the tickets are not part of a scam, but more of a prank. Several discrepancies exist between a real parking ticket and the fraudulent ones. For one thing, real tickets have “City of Alameda” written at the top of the ticket. To learn if a ticket is legitimate, contact APD. 

Bank robber to do time
An Oakland man was sentenced to more than eight years in prison on Jan. 15 for robbing 19 banks and credit unions including a U.S. Bank in Alameda.

Duane Kurt Makela, 50, was sentenced to 97 months in federal prison by Senior U.S. District Judge Honorable Charles R. Breyer, at the Northern District of California courtroom in San Francisco. Makela pled guilty on Oct. 3, 2019. As part of his plea deal, he confessed to entering the businesses and demanding bank tellers hand over money. In some cases he brandished a firearm, according to a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s office. 

Makela committed 10 armed bank robberies, seven unarmed bank robberies and two attempted bank robberies. In total, he stole $69,002, according to the press release. The robbery spree took place between March 21, 2018, and Feb. 4, 2019. 

The armed robbery in Alameda took place at the U.S. Bank inside Safeway at South Shore Center on Nov. 5, 2018. It marked the 17th robbery during Makela’s spree. He reportedly stole $11,500 in the local incident. 

Makela was arrested on April 23, 2019, (“Bank Robber Nabbed,” May 16) at Kaiser Permanente in Oakland after his wife gave birth to their second child.  

Makela is still being housed at Santa Rita Jail in Dublin. He awaits his transfer to federal prison.