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 May 2-8, there were 14 burglary reports, 32 auto break-in or theft from a vehicle reports, and six stolen vehicle reports to the Berkeley Police Department, according to CrimeMapping.com. Thirteen 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. In addition, several items released this week by the Berkeley Police Department, from May 9-11, are included below.
May 2, Thursday
Six thefts or burglaries from vehicles were reported throughout the day: at 6 a.m. in the 1700 block of Rose Street; at 10:25 a.m. in the 100 block of Alvarado Road; at 11:45 a.m. in the 2400 block of Hearst Avenue; at 12:30 p.m. at Camelia and Sixth streets; at 8 p.m. in the 1900 block of University Avenue; and at 11:30 p.m. in the 1500 block of McGee Avenue.
A vehicle was reported stolen at 7 a.m. from the 1600 block of Fifth Street.
A home burglary was reported at 8:30 a.m. in the 1600 block of Milvia Street.
A commercial burglary was reported at 8 p.m. in the 700 block of Page Street.
May 3, Friday
Three auto burglaries were reported: at 1:30 a.m. in the 2400 block of Atherton Street; at noon at Dwight Way and Sports Lane; and at 10 p.m. in the 2400 block of Hillside Avenue.
Three home burglaries were reported: at 3 a.m. in the 2300 block of Dwight Way; at 10 a.m. in the 1300 block of Milvia Street; and at 6:30 p.m. in the 400 block of Colusa Avenue.
A robbery was reported at 11:45 a.m. at Channing Way and Milvia Street.
A commercial burglary was reported at 6 p.m. in the 1100 block of Eighth Street.
May 4, Saturday
A felony assault/battery was reported at 12:30 a.m. in the 2700 block of Bancroft Way.
A robbery was reported at 1:16 a.m. at College Avenue and Stuart Street.
Five home burglaries were reported: at 11 a.m. in the 2100 block of Russell Street; at 5 p.m. at an unlisted location; at 5 p.m. in the 1100 block of Shattuck Avenue; at 6 p.m. in the 1600 block of Lincoln Street; and at 7:50 p.m. in the 1700 block of Oregon Street.
Four auto burglaries were reported: at 1:10 p.m. in the 2400 block of Dowling Place; at 3 p.m. in the 1500 block of Stuart Street; at 3:15 p.m. at Russell Street and Piedmont Avenue; and at 9:30 p.m. in the 2000 block of Durant Avenue.
A vehicle was reported stolen at 6:30 p.m. in the 2200 block of Ninth Street.
May 5, Sunday
Twelve thefts or burglaries from vehicles were reported throughout the day. See the full list here. The Berkeley Police Department released information about one of them. At 11:50 a.m., in the 1600 block of Shattuck Avenue, a man parked his vehicle and ran into a local business. He left his doors unlocked and someone stole his phone while he was in the shop.
Four robberies were reported throughout the day: at 1:58 a.m. in the 2500 block of Hillegass Avenue; at 9:20 p.m. in the 2400 block of Fulton Street; at 9:24 p.m. in the 2700 block of Alcatraz Avenue; and at 10 p.m. in the 1800 block of Woolsey Street.
A vehicle was reported stolen at 8 a.m. from the 1100 block of Kains Avenue.
May 6, Monday
Two home burglaries were reported, at 7:30 a.m. in the 1000 block of Hearst Avenue, and at 6 p.m. in the 1000 block of Merced Street.
Two vehicles were reported stolen, at 11 a.m. from the 2400 block of Haste Street, and at 3 p.m. from the 2300 block of Ninth Street.
Four robberies were reported: at 11:55 a.m. at Grant Street and University Avenue; at 12:03 p.m. at Durant Avenue and Dana Street; at 3:30 p.m. in the 2800 block of Grant Street; and at 10:35 p.m. at Telegraph Avenue and Webster Street.
- The Berkeley Police Department released information about the Grant Street robbery. The victim was walking when a man tried to steal her phone. She was able to fight him off before he fled in a white four-door vehicle. The robber was described as a black man in his 20s, 6 feet tall and 180 pounds, with short hair and a short beard. He was wearing glasses.
- The University of California Police Department released information about the Dana Street robbery. A man who was hiding in the bushes jumped out at a woman as she walked by. He grabbed her cell phone from her hand, then fled in a white Toyota Camry. He was last seen driving eastbound on Durant. The 23-year-old victim was not hurt during the encounter. Police searched the area but were unable to find the suspect. He was described as a black man in his 20s with a medium build, wearing a gray shirt and black gym shorts. Police ask anyone with information about the crime to call 510-981-5900.
A felony assault/battery was reported at 1:07 a.m. at Adeline Street and Ashby Avenue.
Three thefts or burglaries from vehicles were reported: at 4:30 p.m. in the 2400 block of Fifth Street; at 6 p.m. in the 1500 block of Summit Road; and at 10 p.m. in the 2900 block of Florence Street.
May 7, Tuesday
At approximately midnight, the Berkeley Police Department said an unknown suspect vandalized a vehicle in the 2000 block of Delaware Street. The victim reported seeing someone intentionally break the mirror on a parked vehicle. The suspect fled prior to police arrival. He is described as a white male, 5 feet 10 to 5 feet 11 inches tall, with short curly hair. He was wearing a navy blue pullover sweater and light colored pants.
Four thefts or burglaries from vehicles were reported: at 1:27 a.m. in the 1300 block of Virginia Street; at 3:14 a.m. in the 1500 block of Summit Road; at 8:45 a.m. at Dowling Place and Telegraph Avenue; and at 9:40 a.m. in the 2900 block of Benvenue Avenue.
Two robberies were reported: at 1:15 p.m. in the 2300 block of Shattuck Avenue, and at 2:50 p.m. at Telegraph Avenue and Channing Way.
An arson was reported at 4:47 p.m. in the 1900 block of Hearst Avenue.
May 8, Wednesday
A vehicle was reported stolen at 11 a.m. from the 2600 block of San Pablo Avenue.
A home burglary was reported at 1 p.m. in the 1800 block of Prince Street. According to the Berkeley Police Department, between 1 p.m. and 4:30 p.m., a thief entered the residence possibly through an unlocked rear door and stole the victim’s wallet and jewelry.
A robbery was reported at 10:40 p.m. at Derby Street and Hillegass Avenue.
Three other items from the Berkeley Police
On Thursday, May 9, at about 11:20 a.m., three women entered a store in the 2200 block of Shattuck Avenue, and forcibly stole two cell phones from the display. They fled in a Nissan SUV. All three were described as black women. The first appeared to be 21 years old, and was 5 feet 10 inches tall and 200 pounds; she was wearing a black hooded sweatshirt and short gray pajama pants. The second appeared to be 19 to 21 years old, 5 feet 6 inches tall and 120 pounds; she had long blond hair and was wearing a white tank top, blue jean jacket and light colored pants. The third woman appeared to be 19 to 21 years old; no further description was available.
On Friday, May 10, at about 1:07 p.m., employees inside a business in the 1300 block of University Avenue heard a noise from the front of the store. They walked out to find that the window had been shattered. They didn’t see anyone in the area.
On Saturday, May 11, a pedestrian was robbed near Derby and Etna streets at about 8 p.m. Three teenagers grabbed her from behind and stole her iPod, then ran north on Etna. The robbers were described as three black male in their late teens. One was 5 feet 6 inches tall with a thin build and wearing a white T-shirt and baggy pants; the other two were 5 feet 10 to 5 feet 11 inches tall, with no further description provided.
SAFETY TIP FROM THE BERKELEY POLICE: Cell Phone Robbery Prevention
- Be alert to your surroundings and people around you.
- Do not lend your phone to anyone you do not know or take it out of your purse, pocket or bag to give someone the time, if asked.
- Whenever feasible, walk, jog or travel with a friend or friends.
- Don’t talk on cell phones or listen to iPods when alone, as they significantly limit awareness.
- Be aware of locations and situations, which make you more vulnerable to crime such as alleys, doorways, parking lots and stairwells.
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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