This is a partial list of recent crimes in Berkeley based on information from the Berkeley Police Department and the UC Berkeley Police Department. For other sources of information on crime in Berkeley see Community CrimeView and Crimemapping.com.
Drunk in Public & Probation Violation Arrest – 3000 Block of Telegraph Avenue #2012-1481
An employee of a grocery store called BPD at about 10:41 a.m. on Monday, January 9, 2012 after seeing a man leave without paying for some beers. An employee detained the thief as he was climbing into a rental car in the parking lot. When BPD officers arrived, the case officer immediately noted that the suspect was impaired, had a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage on him and slurred speech. When the officer began speaking with the suspect, the suspect became belligerent, aggressive and uncooperative. The grocery store employee did not want to seek prosecution, but the suspect was too intoxicated to care for himself so he was arrested for violation of 647 (f) PC- Drunk in Public. A records check revealed that the 50-year-old Berkeley man was on probation for the same offense, thus he was in violation of the terms of his probation – 1203.2 PC. The officers booked him into the BPD jail.
Residential Burglary – Lock Cut to Garage #1 – 1400 Block of Holly Street – #2012-1608
On Monday, January 9, 2012 at about 8:00 a.m., a Berkeley man went to his garage in the 1400 block of Holly Street and discovered that he had been the victim of a burglary. He called BPD. He told the officer that he last saw his bicycle in his locked garage on Sunday, January 8, 2012 at about 6:00 p.m. Between that those hours, an unknown suspect or suspects cut the lock to the garage and took three (3) bicycles – a blue Giant brand Cypress DX men’s road bike, a Gray Trek brand 7100 women’s road bike and a green Raleigh brand Detour 4.5 women’s road bike.
Residential Burglary – Lock Cut to Garage #2– 1400 block of Holly Street – #2012-1615
On Monday, January 9, 2012 at about 8:00 a.m., a Berkeley man, a neighbor of the victim noted above, went to his garage in the 1400 block of Holly Street and discovered that he had been the victim of a burglary. He called BPD. He told the officer that he last saw his bicycle in his locked garage on Sunday, January 8, 2012 at about 7:00 p.m. Between that those hours, an unknown suspect or suspects cut the lock to the garage and took a black and silver GT Brand men’s Mountain bike. A BPD Crime Scene Investigator (CSI) was called to process the scene.
Robbery Via Strong Arm – Woolsey & Adeline Streets – #2012-1573
On Monday, January 9, 2012 at approximately 5:16 p.m., a 62-year-old San Francisco man was walking east on Woolsey Street playing a word game on his cell phone. As he approached Adeline Street, a suspect approached him from his right, hit him with a hard object in the mouth, grabbed his black iPhone 4 and fled east on Woolsey. The victim tried to chase him, but lost him in the BART parking lot near Tremont Street. BPD officers responded and one was the case officer while the others conducted area checks for the suspect. The victim was treated, then transported to a local ER for an injury to his mouth and temple area. The victim described the suspect as “a Black male teen, black hoodie, 16-18 years old, 5’8” tall, 160 pounds.”
Residential Burglary via Pry to Door – 2000 block of Hearst Street – #2012-1781
On Tuesday, January 10, 2012 between the hours of 9:30 a.m. and about 5:40 p.m., an unidentified suspect or suspects pried the lock to the front door of a home in the 2000 block of Hearst. When the resident discovered the burglary, she told the BPD officer that she had locked the front door but had not locked the deadbolt. The suspect or suspects made a mess of the home looking for items to steal. Stolen was an Apple laptop, iPod, coins and jewelry. The BPD case officer called a BPD CSI who processed the scene for anything of evidentiary value.
Identity Theft/Fraud – 1000 block of Spruce Street – #2012-1737
On Tuesday, January 10, 2012 at about 2:47 p.m., an 83-year-old Berkeley woman called to report that she had been the victim of identity theft. She had been contacted via phone by a Financial Services Company about her account with a credit limit of $5,000. She told the representative that it was not her who had opened such an account. Someone had used her Social Security # and other identifying information to open the account. Concerned for identity theft, the community member did a credit check and learned that a Macy’s line of credit/car had been opened and purchases made. The case officer conducted some follow-up work and provided guidance as to what steps to take next although she knew a great deal already.
Theft of Copper Railing – 1500 block of Shattuck Avenue – #2012-1714
Between the hours of 11:00 p.m. on Monday, January 9 and 11:00 a.m. on Tuesday, January 10, 2012, an unknown suspect or suspects stole approximately 12 feet of copper pipe. The pipe was intended as part of a disabled railing for a restaurant business in the 1500 block of Shattuck Avenue. The BPD officer and business owner noted that the person or persons who stole the piece of copper used a pipe cutting tool or similar as the cuts were clean/straight.
Warrant Subject Spotted and Arrested – Shattuck and Durant Avenues – #2012-1932
On Wednesday, January 11, 2012 at about 2:51 p.m., BPD Drug Task Force (DTF) Officers saw a subject at Shattuck and Durant Avenues that they knew had a bail warrant. They detained him, confirmed the warrant and booked the 24-year-old Berkeley man into the BPD jail.
Bike Stop Leads to Drug Arrest – San Pablo & University Avenues – #2012-1995
At 9:05 p.m. on Wednesday, January 11, 2012 BPD DTF Officers stopped a bicyclist on San Pablo Avenue just south of University Avenue for riding his bike on the sidewalk. Officers began a consent search of the detainee. As officers began to search him, he unexpectedly took off running northbound on San Pablo Avenue. Officers gave chase on foot for several blocks, eventually catching up with him on the 2000 block of 9th St. There, officers were able to detain him in handcuffs. Officers looked over the fence where he was detained and found 14 individually wrapped pieces of crack cocaine bundled in a bag. Officers arrested the 23-year-old City of Richmond man for violations of H&S 11351.5 – Possession of Cocaine Base (crack) for sale & PC 148(a) – Resisting or Obstructing a Peace Officer and booked him into the Berkeley jail.
Grand Theft From Person – Haste and Ellsworth Streets – #2012-1980
On Wednesday, January 11, 2012 at about 6:00 p.m., a 25-year-old woman was walking and talking on the phone. She told the BPD case officer that she was heading eastbound on Haste Street and, just before she got to Ellsworth Street, a male suspect approached her on a bicycle and suddenly grabbed her iPhone from her hand. The suspect then fled westbound on the bike. The victim walked home then called police. The victim was not physically injured during the incident. She told officers that no force, weapons or threats used during the crime. BPD & UCPD officers did area checks but did not find the suspect. The victim described the suspect as “A Black male adult, 30-40 years old, under 6” tall, average build, wearing a dark oversized thigh length coat with a hood, riding an unknown color bike.”
Traffic Enforcement Stop Leads to DUI Arrest – University and Shattuck #2012-2037
On Thursday, January 12, 2012 at about 2:57 a.m., a BPD patrol officer saw a Honda CRV that was ahead of her swerving in the lane. The officer followed the Honda northbound on Shattuck Avenue and saw that it drifted to the left of the lane and crossover. The officer suspected the driver might be impaired. The officer made a traffic enforcement stop at University and Shattuck Avenues. When the officer spoke to the 21-year-old woman driver, the officer could smell a moderate odor of an alcoholic beverage when the woman spoke. The BPD officer initiated a DUI investigation. Based on her impairment, performance on the Field Sobriety Tests (FSTs) and the woman’s PAS (preliminary Alcohol Screening) test – .09 , the officer arrested the woman for violations of CVC-23152(a) & CVC 23152(b) – Driving Under the Influence over .08 or above. and booked her into the BPD jail.
Theft from an Unlocked Van – 2800 block of Dohr Street- #2012-2063
Sometime between Wednesday, January 11th at noon and Thursday, January 12, 2012 at 9:15 a.m., an unknown suspect or suspects stole an unknown amount of coins/loose change from a community member’s van. The suspect or suspects opened the glove box and threw some personal items and papers around the interior of the vehicle.
Snapshots: some of what BPD officers Have Been Doing:
- Between January 9, 2012 at approximately 3:52 p.m. and Thursday, January 12, 2012 at 3:58 p.m. BPD officers have responded and managed 22 calls for police services regarding audible burglar alarms of homes and/or businesses. Each was deemed false such as wrong code, mechanical or other. This total does not include manually activated alarms or silent alarms.
- Between January 9, 2012 at approximately 7:53 a.m. and Thursday, January 12, 2012 at 11:53 a.m. BPD officers have responded and managed 29 calls for police services regarding petty thefts – thefts of items under $950.
- Between January 9, 2012 at approximately 12:33 a.m. and Thursday, January 12, 2012 at 3:14 p.m. BPD patrol officers made 93 traffic enforcement stops throughout the City of Berkeley. Some result in citation, tows, warning and/or arrests. These numbers do not include the BPD traffic motor officers. Every successful traffic collision reduction program needs the 3 E’s – Education, Enforcement & Engineering.
