Blogs

The following is a sample of crime in Berkeley this week, provided by the Berkeley Police Department.

Brandishing Knife with Arrest — 2400 block of 8th Street
On May 6 at about 2:15 a.m., a 27-year-old Berkeley man and his girlfriend were in the 2400 block of 8th Street. A male suspect approached their car window and knocked on it. The man got out of the car to confront the suspect. The suspect appeared drunk and brandished a knife at the man/victim. The victim called BPD and officers detained the suspect nearby. The victim signed a Private Person’s arrest form and BPD accepted the arrest. The 29-year-old Berkeley man was arrested for 417(a)(1) PC – Brandishing a Knife.

Residential Burglary via Door Pry — 1200 Hopkins Street
On May 6 at 10:49 a.m., a Berkeley man called BPD to report that his home had been burglarized in the 1200 block of Hopkins Street. The man told the BPD officer that he had left his home to go out of town on Thursday, at approximately 8:00 a.m. When he returned on Sunday just before he called BPD, he saw that the back door of his home had been pried open. An unknown suspect or suspects entered the home and stole electronics and coins.

Auto Burglary via Window Smash — 1500 Juanita Way
A Berkeley man called BPD on May 6 at 11:30 a.m. when he went to use his Chevy S-10 and saw that the front window was smashed. He had parked and locked the truck on Saturday at 10:30 p.m. in the 1500 block of Juanita Way. He told the BPD officer that he had stored a black nylon bag inside the vehicle and the unknown suspect stole the bag that contained personal checks, tax documents and other important paperwork.

Felony Theft — 1200 block of 9th Street
A property maintenance manager from the 1200 block of 9th Street called BPD on May 7 at 10:36 a.m. He told the BPD officer that arrived that the manager noticed that a backflow prevention valve made of copper and brass that is part of the water piping system had been stolen. The BPD officer documented the crime and suspects it was stolen to sell as scrap metal.

Identity Theft/Fraud — 1400 block of 10th Street
On May 7 at 3:45 p.m., a Berkeley man called BPD to report identity theft. The BPD case officer learned the man had received two bills that day from a phone carrier for two phone numbers he did not open. The total bill was over $200. An unidentified suspect had used the victim’s information to open the accounts. The officer advised the victim to close the accounts.

Drinking in Public, Stay Away Order & Probation Violation Arrest — People’s Park
On May 7 at 2:15 p.m., a Telegraph Avenue patrol officer saw a man in People’s Park drinking a malt liquor. She recognized the suspect as a person that had a stay away order from the park. The officer and her partner detained the suspect. A records check confirmed the stay away order and that the suspect was active to probation. BPD cited the man for drinking in public and arrested the 28-year-old suspect for violations of 166(a)(4)PC and 1203.2 PC.

Robbery — College & Ashby Avenue
A 19-year-old Berkeley man was walking at College and Ashby Avenues on May 7 at 10:32 p.m. A male suspect walked up to him and demanded the victim’s shoulder bag and iPhone. The suspect threatened the victim and had a bulge in his pocket that the victim believed was a gun. The suspect fled westbound on Ashby Avenue on foot after the crime. BPD officers did an area check but did not locate the suspect.

Indecent Exposure — Milvia & Kittredge Street
On May 8 at about 8:00 a.m., some Berkeley High School students saw a man walking in the area of Milvia and Kittredge Streets exposing his genitals and making lewd comments. BPD officers responded and detained the man. Officers arrested the 34-year-old Berkeley man for violation of 314 PC – Indecent Exposure.

Burglary to Garage of Home — 1000 block of Shattuck Avenue
On May 8 at approximately 10:08 a.m., a Berkeley community member called BPD to report the burglary of a garage. The BPD officer learned that the garage in the 1000 block of Shattuck Avenue had been left unlocked between 9:00 p.m. on Monday night and 10:00 a.m. that morning. The unidentified suspect or suspects made off with two bicycles and power tools.

Possession For Sale of Marijuana, Sale of Marijuana and Enhancement — 2100 block of 9th Street
On May 8 at 4:10 p.m., a member of the Special Enforcement Unit (SEU) saw a man sell marijuana to another man. Drug Task Force (DTF) Officers made an investigative car stop of the vehicle that the seller was driving in the 2200 block of San Pablo Avenue. During a probable cause search of the car, the DTF officers found approximately three quarters of a pound of marijuana, digital scales, cell phones, sandwich bags and over $750 in cash. DTF officers arrested and booked the 44-year-old Berkeley resident for violations of 11360(a) H&S – Sales of Marijuana, 11359 H&S – Possession For Sale of Marijuana and 667(B) PC – An enhancement/sentencing section.

Welfare Check Turns into Drunk in Public Arrest —1800 block of University Avenue
On May 8 at 9:25 p.m., an employee of a grocery store in the 1800 block of University Avenue called BPD asking for a welfare check of a man. The employee had found the man asleep on the business’ fork lift. BPD officer arrived and discovered that the male suspect was very intoxicated and could not take care of himself. The suspect said he had consumed a fifth of vodka. The officers arrested the 65-year-old Berkeley man for violation of 647(f) PC and booked him into the BPD Jail until sober.

Robbery via Gun — Fulton and Derby Streets
On May 8 at about 10:17 p.m., a 19-year-old woman was walking southbound on Fulton Street near Derby Street when she was the victim of an armed pedestrian robbery. She told the responding BPD officers that she was on Fulton alone when three women suspects approached her. Suspect #1 had a handgun that she pointed at the victim, Suspect #3 had threatened the victim with pepper spray while Suspect #3 stood by. After getting the victim’s backpack containing a laptop, wallet and contents, the three suspects fled to a waiting car, a dark unknown make and model that fled northbound on Fulton Street and out of sight. The victim was not physically injured during the crime. Officers did extensive area checks but did not locate the suspects or the car.

The victim described the suspects as:
Suspect #1 – “A Hispanic female adult, early 20s, overweight, hair pulled back wearing a grey hoody.”
Suspect #2 – “A Hispanic female adult, early 20s, 5’7” tall, thin wearing a black hoody with the hood up.”
Suspect #3 – “Unknown race, age female, shorter than Suspects 1 and 2.”

Possession of Cocaine Base, Possession for Sale of Marijuana Arrests — 1000 block of Allston Way
On May 9 at 10:23 a.m., the Special Enforcement Unit (SEU) with the support of some detectives from the Investigations Division served a search warrant at a home in the 1000 block of Allston Way. Two men were detained by members of BPD related to the warrant. During a search of the home officers found a small amount of cocaine base or “crack cocaine”, approximately 115 grams of marijuana in over 100 small baggies, digital scales and sandwich bags. One of the suspects, both 43-years-old, was arrested and booked for violation of 11350(a) H&S and the other for violation of 11359 H&S. Officer booked the two into the Berkeley Jail.

Robbery via Gun — Dana and Haste Streets
On May 9 at 11:23 p.m., a 22-year-old woman UC Berkeley student was standing in an alley near her residence in the 2400 block of Dana Street. Two male suspects approached her from behind while she was alone talking on her cell phone. Suspect #1 grabbed the cell phone from the victim while she was still talking on it. The suspect then pointed a gun at her and demanded more property but the victim did not have any. A 20-year-old male UC Berkeley student who is a friend of the victim’s saw the crime and went to the victim’s aid. When the young man did so, he saw Suspect #2 had a gun. Suspect #2 robbed him of his cell phone and wallet. The two suspects then ran off on foot. BPD and UCPD officers did area checks but did not find the suspects.

The victims described the suspects as:
Suspect #1 – “A black male adult, 18 to 24-years-old, 5’11” tall, thin build wearing a black hoody and black pants.”
Suspect #2 – “A black male adult, early 20s, 5’8” -5’9” tall, athletic build, wearing a black hoody with the hood up.”
Both were armed with semi-auto type handguns.

View Crime in Berkeley: May 6 — May 10 in a larger map

Adelyn Baxter is the news editor.

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