Here are my impressions so far, for whatever they're worth:
1. That driveway has always made me slightly nervous if I'm walking alone at night. It's easy to duck into and be shielded by that building. Vehicles (UPS, work trucks) do tend to pull part way into the driveway of the parking lot for a few minutes to half an hour or so at a time. Likewise, across the street (almost directly) is a basement parking structure accessible by a lower garage door that goes down from the street.
2. Barclay's, the bar/restaurant across the street, is a busy establishment. However, even the outdoor seating is below street level. IMO, the odds of sitting down there (which I've done) and seeing what's going on clearly across the street aren't great.
3. The parking lot is really small, as the blonde woman said in the news video. Through the archway is the apartment parking area, leading to a street that dead ends. However, if someone had a car waiting or idling near there, or around the corner on Auburn (which does not get much traffic during the day), it would be IMO an easy getaway. You would have to move VERY fast, and prepare, but once you make a turn or two, you're pretty much home-free. You have a much higher chance of being noticed if you go down College than if you go down to the other end of Harwood.
4. That all said, there is foot traffic on Harwood throughout the day, especially as people return home around that time. There is a church across the street from that corner, which usually has people out front, in addition to several coffee shops. The time it takes to round that corner is indeed very fast, especially if you were in a hurry and using a quick pace.
5. His reasons for using the parking lot make sense to me, considering what's been going on in Oakland lately. There is honestly nowhere to park along College Ave most of the time, for about five blocks in either direction. You have to park on the side streets, which have 2 hour parking. However, on Harwood during that time of day, you can sometimes have to travel to the roundabout or beyond to find a spot (even if you look at side streets, too). Lately, the City of Oakland has extended the parking enforcement hours and hugely increased parking ticket fines. My friends have parked in front of my house and exceeded 2 hours by minutes, and ended up with $80 tickets. Minor infractions can set you back as much as $300 lately, as Oakland tries to use parking enforcement to balance its very sad budget.
Despite all this, the only scenario that makes sense to me for an abduction is that someone either heavily planned this in advance, had the help of one or both parents, or lives really nearby (there is a house on the other side of the driveway). It would have to be such a quick initial grab. I do see it as possible to go unnoticed, and to exit quickly, but it requires so many "if"s and it's never happened here before.
The Neighborhood Watch Group mentioned that they saw the foster father obviously distraught, asking people if they'd seen Hassani and running up and down College Avenue when this happened. The canine dogs traveled both ends of Harwood that day, as well as the gas station on the corner, and parts of College Ave setting up a perimeter. Additionally, I've been personally questioned by LE and asked to fill out an extensive survey, even mentioning any deliveries I got that day or people who visited me, listing their names and phone numbers. They seem like they've been really thorough, and I only imagine they've been more thorough with those in the dwellings right beside the parking lot.
Also, for what it's worth, I can't think of a single reason you'd travel surface streets between Fremont and Rockridge. Even with the worst of traffic, you'd be faster on the freeway (due to lights, busy intersections, etc.)--possibly 90 min instead of 30-45. Additionally, this is an largely white neighborhood (at least until you go lower than College Ave or beyond Broadway). People are not bigoted here (quite the opposite), but you would tend to notice someone of color a little more easily.
I'd like to also add that the neighbors who are around during the day are quite vigilant. The Neighborhood Watch has people who see a solicitor, or someone snipping their flowers, and call the non-emergency number for the police. Lots of security systems, and lots of video cameras. I have a hard time thinking if anyone suspicious was lurking around they wouldn't be noticed or questioned by neighbors (I've seen it happen).
