Berkeley police cruisers (file), April 2013. Photo: Emilie Raguso
Berkeley police cruisers on patrol, April 2013. Photo: Emilie Raguso

The following items represent just a sampling of calls, and were selected by the Berkeley Police Department unless otherwise noted. Click to see past narratives from police, and Berkeleyside’s most recent compilation of calls for service.

Sunday, April 14: A male was walking near Prince and King streets at 4:30 a.m. when another male ran up and punched him. The robber continued to batter the victim and also demanded his cell phone, which the victim turned over. The suspect fled the area. The robber is described as Asian or Samoan, 17 to 18 years old, and 5 feet 8 inches tall with a thin build. He was wearing a dark hooded sweatshirt and black pants.

Monday, April 15: Someone threw a bottle through the front window of an apartment, damaging the window, in the 2500 block of Hillegass Avenue just before 10 p.m.

Tuesday, April 16: A caller reported hearing possibly 30 loud reports near Oregon and Sacramento streets at 12:30 a.m. Officers checked the area but were unable to locate any victims or damaged property. 

Wednesday, April 17: A thief broke into a vehicle parked in the 400 block of Gilman Street sometime between 9:30 and 11 p.m. The victim had parked his vehicle in the parking lot next to a sports facility. When he returned he discovered that someone had broken one of the car windows and stolen a backpack holding the victim’s wallet, iPad and other items.

Thursday, April 18: At 2:35 p.m., a 19-year-old Berkeley woman was walking in the 2100 block of McKinley Avenue when a young man approached her from behind and tried to grab the cell phone she was carrying. “The victim and the suspect began to struggle,” said Officer Jennifer Coats, Berkeley Police spokeswoman, via email. “The suspect then pushed the victim down ripping the phone from her hand. The suspect fled the area.” Police caught up with the man and detained him on Milvia Street north of Channing. Through the subsequent police investigation, said Coats, the man was arrested on suspicion of robbery, and the victim’s property was recovered. Police identified the man as Tabias Brinson, 19, of Oakland. Brinson is being held at Santa Rita Jail on suspicion of robbery with a bail of $50,000.

Friday, April 19: A burglar who may have entered through an unlocked window stole a game console and other items from a home in the 1500 block of Rose Street between 8:30 a.m. and 6 p.m. The resident returned home and discovered his house had been burglarized.

Saturday, April 20: A thief stole a white 2000 Ford Econoline van between 6:30 and 9 p.m. from the 1800 block of Eastshore Highway. The victim had parked on Eastshore in front of his business. When he returned later, he discovered the vehicle was missing.

Monday, April 22: The University of California Police Department is investigating two reports of a suspicious person at the Foothill residential housing complex at 2700 Hearst Ave. On Monday, April 22, at 4:22 a.m., a female student was studying in the common area of her suite in La Loma Building 3. An unknown male, who appeared to be homeless, walked into the room, sat down on a couch, and started talking to the student. He seemed to be under the influence of something and was rambling about different things, said police. The victim noticed that the man’s hands had cuts on them and were bloody. The victim asked him about the cuts, but the man said he didn’t know anything about them and that he was high. The man got up and ran out of the room. The woman told UCPD she had seen the same man Saturday, April 20, at around 2 a.m. at the gate to the housing complex. At that time the man had asked her if he could use her phone. The man was described as a mixed-race male, possibly part Hispanic or black, 19 years of age, and 5 feet 6 or 5 feet 8 inches tall with an average build. He was wearing baggy beige pants, a grey sweatshirt and a long sleeved T-shirt, and smelled of dirty clothes and marijuana. UCPD asks anyone with information about the man, or who sees someone matching this description on campus,  to call 510-642-0472 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays, or 510-642-6760 at other times.

COMMUNITY SAFETY TIP: Personnel Safety Tips from the Berkeley Police

  • Walk with purpose: Project an assertive image that conveys you know where you are going.
  • Avoid isolation: Avoid uninhabited parks, parking lots, garages and alleyways; stick to well-lit, high-traffic areas.

The Berkeley Police Department includes this disclaimer: “Please note that these are Calls For Police Services (CFS) only and are subject to review and reclassification. Learn more about calls for service near specific locations with CrimeView Community and crimemapping.com.

Berkeleyside publishes many articles every day. To see all our stories in chronological order, and read ones you may have missed, check out our All the News grid.

Emilie Raguso (former senior editor, news) joined Berkeleyside in 2012 and covered politics, public safety and development until her departure in 2022. In 2017, Emilie was named Journalist of the Year...