Berkeley Police Department arrested Oakland resident Theodore Johnson early Tuesday morning in connection with a sexual assault on Telegraph Avenue, as first reported by Berkeleyside.
According to BPD spokesperson Sgt. Andrew Frankel, BPD received a call from a community member about 3 a.m. on Tuesday informing BPD of the sexual assault.
“(The community member) believed that they were watching a sexual assault in progress in the area of Telegraph (Avenue) and Haste (Street),” Frankel said. “Officers responded to the scene, stopped the assault and arrested the responsible.”
Frankel said he didn’t have information regarding the condition of the victim.
Johnson, 46, is currently being held in Santa Rita County Jail, Frankel said. According to online records on the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office website, Johnson is being held on a $100,000 bond. He is scheduled to be arraigned at Wiley W. Manuel Courthouse on Thursday and was arrested on the charge of rape by force. The website also listed Johnson’s occupation as homeless.
Frankel emphasized BPD’s gratitude to the community member who reported the sexual assault.
“We’re grateful that somebody saw something happening and took the initiative to call the police and stop the assault which was ongoing,” Frankel said.