Three male suspects stole a laptop from a café on the 2800 block of Telegraph Avenue on Wednesday, despite the recent arrest of six individuals suspected to be involved with a recent string of laptop thefts.
About 3:32 p.m., three male suspects entered the café and grabbed a laptop from the hands of a female customer, who was sitting on a couch near the front entrance, according to a BPD Nixle alert released about 10:30 a.m. Thursday morning. The suspects fled in a car that was waiting on the 2400 block of Stuart Street, the alert said.
BPD received reports of 16 laptop thefts in January alone, most of which occurred at local cafés, including Cafe Blue Door, Caffe Strada, Sack’s Coffee House, Starbucks and 85C Bakery Cafe
Wednesday’s incident follows the arrest Saturday of six suspects in connection with a recent string of laptop thefts in Berkeley. BPD officers went undercover Saturday and were stationed at local cafes in an attempt to nab the suspects. Undercover officers stationed near Caffe Strada arrested four suspects Saturday after they entered the cafe and attempted to steal two laptops. Two other members of the group grabbed computers from customers and ran away to a car. This pair was stopped and arrested “minutes later” when other officers stopped a black sedan on College Avenue.
The Alameda County District Attorney’s Office charged Dajon Daniel, 19, Kingikirah Stevenson, 23, and Ray Moore, 19, with robbery Wednesday, according to the Nixle alert. Three unnamed juvenile suspects, two of whom are 16 and one of whom is 17, are in custody at Juvenile Hall. They face charges for robbery, grand theft and probation violations, the alert said.
BPD shared a video of a laptop robbery that took place in August 2017 to emphasize how quickly these crimes occur.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H0IQf_VG1XY&w=560&h=315]
BPD recommends that community members be aware of their surroundings and not leave their valuables unattended.
Anyone with information regarding this crime is asked to contact the Berkeley Police Department at 510-981-5742.
Check back for updates.
