This is a partial list of recent crimes in Berkeley, compiled by Berkeleyside, and based on reports to the Berkeley Police Department unless otherwise noted. See past crime blotters here. (Note to readers: We always appreciate tips about breaking news or neighborhood safety issues, via email at tips@berkeleyside.com.)
The following items represent just a sampling of calls, and times may be approximate. From Feb. 28 to March 6, there were 12 burglary reports, 30 auto break-in or theft from a vehicle reports, and 14 stolen vehicle reports to the Berkeley Police Department, according to CrimeMapping.com. Five robberies and six assaults, domestic violence incidents or batteries were reported. These numbers are subject to change. Click the previous links for the most current information.
Feb. 27, Wednesday
Police arrested a 63-year-old man in Berkeley after finding him to be listed as a “fugitive from justice” during an investigative stop. Berkeley Police officers arrested Lenard Henry on Feb. 27 at about 4:15 p.m. at Alcatraz and Adeline streets. Police spokeswoman Officer Jennifer Coats said Henry had an outstanding warrant for his arrest. As of March 10, Henry was being held in Santa Rita Jail without bail and was scheduled for an extradition hearing at 9 a.m. March 22 in the Hayward Hall of Justice. (Other calls for service for this date were listed last week on Berkeleyside’s crime blotter.)
Feb. 28, Thursday
Police arrested a sixth person in connection with a home-invasion robbery in the 2100 block of Allston Way on Feb. 23. Berkeley Police spokeswoman Coats said Dena Jackson, 32, of Berkeley was arrested “after further investigation.” Jackson still appeared to be in custody, at Santa Rita Jail, as of March 10. No upcoming hearings were listed.
There were five reported auto burglaries and one theft from a vehicle: at 9 a.m. in the 2100 block of Bonar Street; at 5:30 p.m. in the 1500 block of Oxford Street; at 6:45 p.m. at Walnut and Rose streets; at 8 p.m. in the 500 block of Neilson Street; and at 9 p.m. in the 1800 block of San Antonio Avenue and in the 1300 block of Walnut.
A felony theft was reported in the 2200 block of Shattuck Avenue at 4:15 p.m.
Four vehicles were reported stolen: at 6 p.m. from the 1600 block of Buena Avenue; at 7:45 p.m. from the 2700 block of Garber Street; at 8 p.m. from Dwight Way and College Avenue; and at 8:30 p.m. from the 1900 block of Blake Street.
A home burglary was reported at 10:20 p.m. in the 1700 block of Grant Street.
March 1, Friday
Four auto burglaries and one theft from a vehicle were reported: at midnight in the 500 block of Neilson Street; at 8:30 a.m. in the 1100 block of Oxford Street; at 10:15 a.m. at Sixth and Camelia streets; at 4 p.m. in the 100 block of Panoramic Way; and at 10:10 p.m. in the 900 block of University Avenue.
There were three home burglaries reported: at 12:01 a.m. in the 2500 block of College Avenue; at 8 a.m. in the 1200 block of Russell Street; and at 4:15 p.m. in the 3200 block of Ellis Street.
Four vehicles were reported stolen: from the 900 block of Camelia Street at 6 a.m.; from the 1000 block of Ashby Avenue at 4:45 p.m.; from the 1600 block of University Avenue at 7 p.m.; and from Fairview and Sacramento streets at 9:55 p.m.
A woman was hit by a car while crossing the road in a crosswalk at Solano Avenue and Fresno Street at about 4:15 p.m. A driver turning left hit the 57-year-old Berkeley woman, who suffered non-life-threatening injuries and was taken to a local hospital. Police said they did not believe drugs or alcohol were factors in the collision.
Two felony thefts (over $950) were reported, at 5:33 p.m. at Cedar and Second streets, and at 8:30 p.m. in the 2700 block of Grant Streets.
A commercial burglary was reported at 8:20 p.m. in the 2400 block of Fourth Street.
A gun or weapon was reported at Harmon and California streets at 10:12 p.m.
March 2, Saturday
At around 2:50 a.m., Berkeley Police responded to a report of an assault and disturbance inside a home in the 1400 block of 10th Street, said spokeswoman Coats. Police said they were told that a former boyfriend had broken into the home and assaulted someone. A friend called police and reported that the suspect might be armed with a gun. Police established a perimeter around the house, but did not know whether the suspect remained inside. Officers called into the residence to tell the suspect to come out. No one responded. Officers checked inside to find that the suspect had fled. Police continue to follow up on leads.
Four auto burglaries were reported: at 10:30 a.m. in the 2400 block of Bonar Street; at 4:45 p.m. at Euclid Avenue and Bay View Place; at 6 p.m. in the 2200 block of Parker Street; and at 11 p.m. at Allston Way and Fourth Street.
Two home burglaries were reported, at 2 p.m. in the 2800 block of Benvenue Avenue and at 5:30 p.m. in the 2600 block of Martin Luther King Jr. Way.
March 3, Sunday
A theft from a vehicle was reported at 12:31 a.m. in the 1600 block of Milvia Street.
University of California Police received a report of an assault, at 2530 Durant Ave. near Top Dog, at 1:37 a.m. Two males and two females had been walking when two men “began harassing the female victims,” according to police. “One of the male victims asked the suspects to stop. The first suspect began punching the male victim. The second suspect began punching the other male victim.” Police said the suspects picked up plastic milk cartons, and used them to hit the victims. The men fled, but police found them both, one in the “Top Dog” parking lot and the other hiding in a car parked in the lot. The victims received facial injuries during the encounter and were treated by the Berkeley Fire Department. Police identified the men who were arrested as Aaron Raphael Carmona, 23, and Sean Carter, 26.
A home burglary was reported at 1:48 p.m. in the 2800 block of Grant Street.
A robbery was reported at 3:15 p.m. in the 1200 block of Haskell Street.
Two auto burglaries were reported, both at 5:30 p.m. at Dana and Haste streets.
A vehicle was reported stolen at 7 p.m. at Channing Way and Milvia Street.
A gun or weapon was reported at 7:13 p.m. at Channing Way and Shattuck Avenue.
A robbery also was reported at Ashby and Telegraph avenues at 10:30 p.m.
March 4, Monday
Auto burglaries were reported at 12:30 p.m. in the 1100 block of San Pablo Avenue and at 3:30 p.m. in the 2600 block of Ashby Avenue.
A robbery was reported at 8 p.m. in the 1900 block of Woolsey Street.
A vehicle was reported stolen at 9:19 p.m. in the 1600 block of Hearst Avenue.
March 5, Tuesday
A vehicle was reported stolen at 9:30 a.m. from the 1500 block of Harmon Street.
There were three reported auto burglaries, at 1:45 p.m. at Gilman Street and Peralta Avenue; at 6 p.m. at Florence Street and Ashby Avenue; and at 10 p.m. at Dana and Carleton streets.
Two robberies were reported, at 5:08 p.m. in the 2100 block of Blake Street, and at 8:36 p.m. in the 2100 block of Ward Street.
A commercial burglary was reported at 5:45 p.m. in the 900 block of Ensenada Avenue.
Two home burglaries were reported, at 6 p.m. in the 100 block of Eucalyptus Road, and at 7 p.m. in the 1200 block of Blake Street.
March 6, Wednesday
There were six reported auto burglaries and one theft from a vehicle: at 12:01 a.m. at Dana Street and Channing Way; at 12:30 a.m. at Dwight Way and Fulton Street; at 4:38 p.m. in the 2000 block of Oregon Street; at 6 p.m. at Virginia Street and Shattuck Avenue; at both 7 and 7:30 p.m. at Camelia and Sixth streets; and at 8 p.m. in the 2300 block of California Street.
A home burglary was reported at 8 a.m. in the 1500 block of Channing Way.
Three vehicles were reported stolen, at 8 p.m. from the 2700 block of Ridge Road, at 9 p.m. from the 800 block of Shattuck Avenue and at 11:30 p.m. from the 1900 block of Los Angeles Avenue.
March 7, Thursday
Police arrested Mark Jekabson, 37, of Berkeley after a report of a fire or an arson in the 1600 block of Edith Street at around 7:10 p.m. Berkeley Police Lt. Ed Spiller said someone reported seeing a man, later identified as Jekabson, pouring something onto a burning bush. Police responded to the area to speak to the caller. “Then a fella comes walking by,” said Spiller, “and he [the caller] says, ‘That’s the guy there.'” Police arrested Jekabson without incident. He’s being held with a bail of $250,000 on suspicion of arson of an inhabited structure, and is scheduled for arraignment Monday, March 11, at the Wiley W. Manuel Courthouse in downtown Oakland.
Police arrested James Mott, 24, of Oakland after residents reported a naked burglar in the 1300 block of Hearst Avenue just after 4 p.m., authorities said. As police responded to the area, they received a report of a naked male running in the 1300 block of Delaware Street, one block to the north. Police detained Mott, who appeared to be under the influence of drugs. He was arrested on suspicion of burglary and indecent exposure with a prior. He’s being held with a bail of $85,000 and is scheduled for arraignment Monday, March 11, at 2 p.m. at Wiley Manuel. (A reader spoke to some neighbors and recorded part of the naked man’s arrest.)
(The rest of the day’s calls for service will appear in next week’s Berkeleyside crime blotter.)
See the full list of Berkeley Police Department calls for service here on CrimeMapping.com. This may have been updated since publication. See the list of calls to the UC Police Department. See also Local Crime News’ regularly published list of arrests of Berkeley residents. Other sources of information on crime in Berkeley include the Police Department’s CrimeView Community and CrimeMapping.com.
[Editor’s Note: New calls for service are at times added to the CrimeMapping.com system in an unpredictable manner, and numbers for most types of calls are likely to increase in the days following this report. This weekly post offers a relatively detailed account of calls for service over the course of a week but does not reflect every call.]
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