This is a partial list of recent crimes in Berkeley based on information from the Berkeley Police Department and the UC Police Department, followed by a snapshot of BPD activity this week. The calls for service spreadsheet is available on Google Docs. See also the San Francisco Chronicle’s regularly published list of arrests in Berkeley. For other sources of information on crime in Berkeley see Community CrimeView and Crimemapping.com.
May 21
Residential Burglary via Unlocked Sliding door – 500 block of The Alameda – #2012-26751
On Monday, May 21, 2012, between 8:40 a.m. and 9:10 a.m. an unknown suspect or suspects entered a home in which the residents were not home in the 500 block of The Alameda. The suspect(s) stole coins and 3 televisions. The BPD officer who responded documented the crime and the loss and determined that a second-level sliding glass window had been left unlocked and was the point of entry. The total value of the items stolen is over $3,000. A BPD Crime Scene Investigator processed the home for anything of evidentiary value.
Theft From Vehicle with Arrest – Allston Way and Oxford Street #2012-26733
On Monday, May 21, 2012 at about 9:00 a.m., the driver of a commercial delivery van left his cell phone on the dash board and left the van briefly. A male suspect opened and unlocked the wing window and stole the phone. A witness to the theft told the driver when he returned and the driver confronted the suspect and retrieved the smartphone. Both men positively identified the suspect, a 57 year old Oakland man as the thief. BPD issued the suspect a misdemeanor Field Citation for theft with a future court date.
May 22
Grand Theft of Copper – 2300 block of Channing Way – #2012-26931
Between Monday, May 21, 2012 at 11:00 p.m. and Tuesday, May 22, 2012 at about 9:15 a.m. an unidentified suspect stole a 9 foot length of copper gutter from the rear of a building in the 2300 block of Channing Way.
Commercial Robbery via Gun -2900 block of Sacramento Street #2012-26938
On Tuesday, May 22, 2012 at approximately 10:44 a.m., a male and female duo went into a business in the 2900 block of Sacramento Street. The male suspect pointed a gun at the owner while the woman suspect stole jewelry from the displays. The victim last saw the pair running east on Julia Street from Sacramento Street. The victim described the suspects as – Suspect #1 – “Black Male Adult, 23-24 years old, 5’9”, 150 lbs/skinny, short black hair, no facial hair, dark complexion, wearing blue jeans, a blue long sleeved shirt, and a black hat with a bill.” Suspect #2 – “Black Female Adult, in her 20’s, 5’0”, 100 lbs/skinny, black hair (unknown length in back/straight bangs in front), light brown complexion, wearing blue jeans with colored stripes on the seams and a shinny belt.”
Fraud/Forgery/Identity Theft – 1400 block of Russell Street #2012-26977
On Tuesday, May 22, 2012 at approximately 1:00 p.m., a BPD officer responded to a phone report regarding a possible identity theft incident. The BPD officer learned from the 21 year old from the 1400 block of Russell Street that the young man had received a letter from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) earlier that day. The letter alerted him to a possible crime. The letter stated that he owed $250 dollars in Federal taxes. The victim told the officer he was only a student and his mother still claims him on her federal taxes. He also told the BPD officer that he had never personally filed a tax return in his name. The victim contacted the IRS and was informed that someone filed a tax return using his social security number, and was advised that he would have to make a police report with his local Police Department regarding the tax ID fraud incident. The BPD officer documented the crime and advised the victim how to proceed.
Theft of iPads and iPhone – 2200 block of Shattuck Avenue – #2012-27024
On Tuesday, May 22, 2012 at about 5:07 p.m., a BPD officer was dispatched to a cell carrier and products store in the 2200 block of Shattuck Avenue. The employees of store called BPD to report felony shoplifting. A BPD officer learned from employees that three suspects entered the business at about 4:40 p.m. and started asking the manager questions. When the manager turned his back, each suspect stole a different product, two iPad 3s and an iPhone 4S totaling approximately $2,000. The three then ran from the store and fled on foot northbound on Shattuck Avenue. Area checks were not fruitful for the suspects.
May 23
Hot Prowl Residential Burglary via Unlocked Window – 2200 block of Channing Way – #2012-27124
A resident of an apartment in the 2200 block of Channing Way called BPD to report a burglary. He told the BPD patrol officer that on Wednesday, May 23, 2012 at about 12:45 a.m., he went to his room to go to sleep. When he woke up at 7:00 a.m., he noticed that his front door was open. He looked around and saw that his laptop, and Xbox and some media games were stolen. The victim explored further and found a window open and believes the suspect got in that way and left through the front door. The BPD officer called a BPD Crime Scene Investigator to survey the apartment.
Grand Theft from Unlocked/Open Auto – 1100 block of Laurel Street – #2012-27129
On Thursday, May 24, 2012 at 7:45 a.m. a Berkeley man called from the 1100 block of Laurel Street to report what had just happened. The man told the BPD officer that he was loading his camera gear into his car. He said that he placed his camera equipment into his car’s rear seat then went back inside his home to get more items. He left the car doors open. When he returned to the car a few minutes later, he found that his $600 Nikon SLR camera, a Panasonic point and shoot camera and 2 camera lenses (total value $3,300) were stolen. He did not see any suspicious people or cars in his neighborhood. The BPD officer advised the victim to call with the serial numbers of the now stolen gear.
Theft of a Debit Card – Fraudulent Use of Card – 2300 block of Shattuck Avenue – #2012-27171
On Wednesday May 23, 2012 at 8:45 a.m., a Berkeley man called BPD to report his debit card stolen as well as cash from his account. The victim said he used the ATM at his bank in the 2300 block of Shattuck Avenue. He didn’t realize he had left his debit card in the machine until later. When he checked his accounts, he discovered that an unknown suspect had used the debit card to withdraw $500 cash and then make a $58 purchase at the BART station. A BPD officer documented the crimes and provided the victim some crime prevention guidance about his identity.
May 24
Possession of Narcotics Arrest – Stanford and King Streets – #2012-27339
On Thursday, May 24, 2012 at 2:07 a.m. a BPD officer did a traffic enforcement stop of a Toyota in which the driver was not wearing his seatbelt (violation of CVC 27315 The stop was at Stanford and King Streets. During the stop, the officer noted an odor of an burnt marijuana coming from inside of the vehicle. The officer then did a probable cause search of the inside of the car and the driver and found a small plastic “twisty” inside of the right coin pocket of driver’s jeans as well as a folded up dollar bill inside the car. Both the “twisty” of plastic and the dollar bill contained suspected powder cocaine. The BPD officer arrested the 18 year old Oakland man for violation of 11350(a) HS – Possession of a Controlled substance and booked him into the BPD Jail.
Hot Prowl Residential Burglary via Unlocked Front Door – 2400 block of Blake Street
On Thursday, May 24, 2012 at about 7:00 a.m., while one resident showered and two others slept, an unidentified suspect entered a home in the 2400 block of Blake Street through an unlocked front door. The suspect then prowled the bedroom, the dining room and living room and stole laptops, cell phones and a wallet containing cash and credit cards. The suspect then left the way he or she got in.
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