Berkeley Police Department arrested an Oakland man Monday on suspicion of assault, felony battery and burglary during the December protests in Berkeley, according to a BPD press release sent out Thursday.
Police believe that the suspect, 20-year-old Jayne Waller, assaulted a man and burglarized a RadioShack in Downtown Berkeley during a protest Dec. 7.
According to the release, the victim, a 55-year-old man, attempted to stop a small group of demonstrators from damaging the store when Waller allegedly struck him on the head with a hammer. The victim was transported to a local hospital for treatment.
RadioShack incurred $6,000 in damages and lost $8,000 worth of merchandise during the incident, the release said.
Several videos, as well as store surveillance, captured images of an individual resembling the suspect burglarizing the store and striking the victim.
While Waller’s identity was initially unknown, police obtained a description and street name of the suspect during an unrelated interview. On Aug. 30, a BPD officer arrested Waller on suspicion of an unrelated crime.
Because of his physical description and street name, the officer believed that Waller could be the suspect from the December protest. Police interviewed Waller, who then confessed to hitting the victim with a hammer, according to the release.
After obtaining an arrest warrant, BPD officers arrested Waller on the 2100 block of Shattuck Avenue.
