This is a partial list of recent crime in Berkeley, compiled by Berkeleyside, and based on reports to the Berkeley Police Department unless otherwise noted. See past crime blotters here.
The following items represent just a sampling of calls, and times may be approximate. From Jan. 9-15, there were 19 burglary reports, 23 auto break-in or theft from a vehicle reports, and nine stolen vehicle reports to the Berkeley Police Department, according to CrimeMapping.com. Three robberies and 10 assaults, domestic violence incidents or batteries were reported. These numbers are subject to change. Click the previous links for the most current information.
[Editor’s Note: We always appreciate photographs and tips, about breaking news or neighborhood safety issues, via email at tips@berkeleyside.com or via Facebook or Twitter; please let us know when you write if you prefer to be anonymous.]
Thursday, Jan. 9
Six thefts or burglaries from vehicles were reported: at midnight in the 2000 block of Allston Way; at 1 a.m. in the 1500 block of Milvia Street; at 2 p.m. at Marina Boulevard and Spinnaker Way; at 3 p.m. in the 1200 block of Fifth Street; at 6 p.m. at Sixth and Camelia streets; and at 10:10 p.m. in the 2100 block of 10th Street.
Three vehicles were reported stolen: at midnight in the 1000 block of University Avenue; at noon in the 2900 block of King Street; and at 9:45 p.m. in the 2100 block of Virginia Street.
A robbery was reported at 1:40 p.m. in the 2900 block of Deakin Street.
A home burglary was reported at 9:30 p.m. in the 1100 block of Camelia.
Friday, Jan. 10
A home burglary was reported at 9:10 a.m. in the 1700 block of Sixth Street.
Two vehicles were reported stolen, at 4 p.m. in the 2500 block of Benvenue Avenue, and at 4 p.m. in the 100 block of Bret Harte Road.
A commercial burglary was reported at 6 p.m. in the 2000 block of Martin Luther King Jr. Way.
An auto burglary was reported at 7 p.m. in the 2200 block of McKinley Avenue.
Two men, including one from Berkeley, pleaded guilty in federal court in Oakland to armed bank robbery, announced United States Attorney Melinda Haag and FBI Special Agent in Charge David J. Johnson. Calvin Earl Odom Jr., 25, of Berkeley. and Craig Goatley, 27, of Oakland, were arrested Aug. 14, 2013, by local law enforcement for separate charges and remained in local custody related to those charges. They were indicted for the robbery Oct. 10, 2013. As part of their plea, they admitted to the armed robbery of the Citibank at 1526 Webster St. in Alameda. According to Haag’s announcement, “Odom entered the bank first, pretending to be a customer and interacting with a bank employee in the customer area. Goatley entered the bank next and stood in the teller line. When Goatley was called forward by the next available teller, he brandished what appeared to be a handgun, but was actually a pellet gun, and demanded money. The frightened teller tossed money from her drawer at Goatley. Goatley also took money from the neighboring teller. While Goatley was robbing the tellers, Odom pulled out what appeared to be black handgun, but was actually a pellet gun, and told the bank employee with whom he had been interacting that this was a robbery and not to move. When Goatley was finished robbing the victim tellers, Goatley and Odom fled the bank, stealing $8,869.” They are scheduled to be sentenced in April. (Update, April 17: These men have been sentenced. Read more here.)
Saturday, Jan. 11
Three auto burglaries were reported: at 8 a.m. in the 1900 block of Rose Street; at 6 p.m. at Dwight Way and McKinley; and at 7:30 p.m. in the 2100 block of Addison Street.
A felony assault or battery was reported at 11 a.m. at Fifth and Gilman streets.
Three home burglaries were reported: at noon in the 3000 block of Deakin; at 10 p.m. in the 1700 block of Spruce Street; and, also at 10 p.m., in the 2000 block of Delaware Street.
A vehicle was reported stolen at noon in the 1700 block of Curtis Street.
A commercial burglary was reported at 2 p.m. in the 2300 block of Ellsworth Street.
As reported by the University of California Police Department, a man was robbed by two men with a gun just before 4:30 p.m. in People’s Park. The 48-year-old victim was walking through the park on the west side near the picnic tables when he saw two men sitting at a table. He walked to the table and sat down at the other end. The robbers walked over to him. One pointed a semi-automatic handgun in his face, then demanded his property. He tried to stand but they wrestled him to the ground. The victim began to yell to bystanders for help. As they started to respond, the robbers left the scene. Police searched but could not find them. The robbers were described as black and in their mid-30s. One appeared to be 5 feet 6 inches tall and 165 pounds, with a medium build and dark complexion, and was wearing a black beanie cap, black leather jacket and black shoes. The other man appeared to stand 6 feet 2 inches tall with a medium stocky build and light complexion. He was wearing a tan leather jacket with a gray hooded sweatshirt underneath.
Sunday, Jan. 12
A gun or other weapon was reported at 1:44 a.m. at Dwight Way and San Pablo Avenue.
Three home burglaries were reported: at 3:28 a.m. in the 1600 block of Walnut Street; at 5 p.m. in the 2800 block of Regent Street; and at 6 p.m. in the 2400 block of Russell Street.
Monday, Jan. 13
A commercial burglary was reported at midnight in the 2000 block of Allston Way.
Four home burglaries were reported: at 1 a.m. in the 1900 block of Berkeley Way; at 11:30 a.m. in the 1600 block of Harmon Street; at 1:30 p.m. at an unlisted location; and at 9:30 p.m. in the 3200 block of Idaho Street.
A robbery was reported at 5 a.m. at Woolsey and Tremont Street.
Someone reportedly brandished a weapon at 9:51 a.m. in the 1900 block of Center Street.
Five thefts or burglaries from vehicles were reported: at 1:30 p.m. in the 100 block of Seawall Drive; at 3 p.m. in the 1800 block of Fourth Street; at 3:30 p.m. in the 100 block of Spinnaker Way; at 3:39 p.m. in the 100 block of Seawall; and at 11 p.m. in the 2300 block of Stuart Street.
Two vehicles were reported stolen, at 9 p.m. in the 2900 block of Wheeler Street, and at 9:15 p.m. in the 2200 block of Curtis Street.
A gun or other weapon was reported at 11:26 p.m. at Adeline Street and Ashby Avenue.
Tuesday, Jan. 14
A vehicle was reported stolen at 12:30 a.m. in the 1200 block of Evelyn Avenue.
Three auto burglaries were reported: at 10 a.m. in the 1500 block of Acton Street; at 11:30 a.m. in the 2400 block of Hillside Avenue; and at 8 p.m. in the 3100 block of King Street.
Two home burglaries were reported, at 3 p.m. in the 200 block of Vicente Road, and at 6 p.m. in the 1700 block of Martin Luther King Jr. Way.
A robbery was reported at 8:07 p.m. in the 2000 block of Woolsey Street.
Wednesday, Jan. 15
Five thefts or burglaries from vehicles were reported: at 1:30 a.m. in the 1800 block of Thousand Oaks Boulevard; at 8:30 a.m. in the 1300 block of Allston Way; at 9:15 a.m. in the 800 block of University Avenue; at 8 p.m. in the 1200 block of Stannage Avenue; and at 10 p.m. in the 2400 block of Haste Street.
A home burglary was reported at 6 a.m. in the 2200 block of Haste.
A commercial burglary was reported at 9 p.m. in the 1900 block of University Avenue.
Other recent incidents
On Jan. 6, between 3:27 p.m. and 3:40 p.m., a UC Berkeley employee’s purse was stolen from her office in Haas Pavilion, according to UCPD. Video surveillance captured the image of the suspect, pictured to the right. According to police, the stolen purse can be seen under her left arm. Police ask anyone who sees this person, or anyone else who appears to be trespassing with the purpose of committing theft or other crimes on University property, to notify UCPD without delay. Tipsters can reach out to Detective Harry Bennigson, criminal investigation bureau, at 510-642-4909 or hbennigson@berkeley.edu. UCPD can be reached 24 hours a day at 510-642-6760.
On Jan. 8, police arrested Lavar Brown on suspicion of second-degree robbery. According to court papers, a pedestrian male was walking on the south side of Bancroft Way toward Telegraph Avenue shortly before 9:30 a.m. while using his cellphone. Police said Brown walked toward him and, as they passed each other, “jumped on” the victim and tried to steal his phone, as well as to take items from the victim’s pockets. The victim fought back to keep his property, according to court papers, and he succeeded. Brown fled west on foot, and police detained him at Touchless Car Wash in the 2100 block of Kittredge Street, a few blocks away. The victim positively identified him during an in-field show-up. According to police, Brown has been arrested seven times in Berkeley since September 2012, and is on felony probation related to receiving stolen property, and misdemeanor probation related to battery causing serious bodily injury. He remains in custody at Santa Rita Jail with a bail of $55,000 and is set for a pre-trial hearing Jan. 23 at the Wiley W. Manuel Courthouse in downtown Oakland.
Related:
South Berkeley robberies on the rise near Ashby BART (01.17.14)
Man arrested after impersonation at Berkeley bank (01.17.14)
Berkeley police arrest 3 with heroin, loaded assault rifle (01.16.14)
On murdered Berkeley woman’s birthday, alleged killer ordered to face charges (01.15.14)
Berkeleyside Police Blotter: Crime in Berkeley, Jan. 2-8 (01.13.14)
See the full list of Berkeley Police Department calls for service on CrimeMapping.com. See the list of calls to UC Police at Berkeley. 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 post does not reflect every call.]
Follow Berkeleyside on Twitter and Facebook. Email us at tips@berkeleyside.com. Get the latest Berkeley news in your inbox with Berkeleyside’s free Daily Briefing.
