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 recent Berkeley crime coverage here.
The following items represent just a sampling of calls, and times may be approximate. From June 12-18, there were 19 burglary reports, 22 auto break-in or theft from a vehicle reports, and eight stolen vehicle reports to the Berkeley Police Department, according to CrimeMapping.com. Eight robberies, 16 assaults, domestic violence incidents or batteries and one sexual assault were reported. Significant incidents from the University of California Police Department included one robbery, four burglaries and a sexual assault. 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, June 12
Three home burglaries were reported: at 4:50 a.m. in the 2200 block of Haste Street; at 7:30 a.m. in the 1200 block of 66th Street; and at 11 p.m. in the 2300 block of Durant Avenue.
A parolee who led police on a short foot chase Thursday was linked to a stolen car full of burglary tools. Just before 1 p.m., the Berkeley Police Department received a call about a man in South Berkeley who was slumped over in a car that reportedly had been running for three hours, said Capt. Andrew Greenwood, in the 2900 block of Adeline Street. Police responded and found a 41-year-old man who was later identified as Roberto Pasillas of Berkeley. He was arrested after running from police. Pasillas remains in custody and is scheduled for a hearing to revoke his parole on June 27, according to the Alameda County sheriff’s department. (Read more on Berkeleyside.)
The Berkeley Police Department arrested a man alleged to have tried to shoot and kill his wife in West Berkeley. According to Berkeley Police, the incident occurred in the 800 block of Bancroft Way between Fifth and Sixth streets at 10 p.m. The 68-year-old man, Harold Owen Covington was at home when he got into a verbal dispute with his wife. According to court papers, the woman came home after visiting a friend to find all the doors locked. When she tried to go inside, police said Covington told her, “If you come in, I’ll blow your head off.” Police said he then opened the door slightly, pointed his shotgun at her head and chest, and said again he would kill her. She asked him to put down the gun, and he refused, according to court papers, telling her that she had disrespected him. She grabbed the shotgun and pushed it away from her. They struggled briefly and the gun went off, striking the top of their door. Afterward, the woman was able to talk Covington into putting down the weapon and letting her inside. The woman called police Saturday, June 14, shortly after 5 a.m. to report what had happened. Officers responded to the home and arrested Covington on suspicion of attempted homicide. He is being held on several related charges with a $115,000 bail at Santa Rita Jail and is scheduled for a pre-trial hearing June 25 at Wiley W. Manuel Courthouse in downtown Oakland. (Berkeleyside broke the news about this incident June 16.)
Berkeley Police officers arrested a man who burglarized a Budget rental car then fled on a bicycle from police before being caught, according to authorities. Capt. Andrew Greenwood said police received a call just before 11:40 p.m. that someone was inside the Budget rental car parking lot, in the 600 block of Gilman Street. An officer who was searching the area spotted the man later identified as Michael James Stoddard, 38, of Berkeley riding on San Pablo Avenue; he fled when police tried to stop him, Greenwood said. Officers found Stoddard hiding in a driveway in the 1100 block of Dartmouth Street, just over the city line into Albany. Greenwood said he was found with methamphetamine and a meth pipe, and papers stolen from a vehicle inside the Budget parking lot. Stoddard remains in custody at Santa Rita Jail with a bail of $105,000, and is scheduled for a pre-trial hearing July 18. (Berkeleyside broke the news about this incident June 16.)
Friday, June 13
Four home burglaries were reported: at 11 a.m. in the 1400 block of San Pablo Avenue; at 6 p.m. in the 2400 block of Dana Street; at 8:57 p.m. in the 2600 block of Hillegass Avenue; and at 11 p.m. in the 2500 block of Dana.
A robbery was reported at 12:30 p.m. at California and Russell streets.
Two vehicles were reported stolen, at 10 p.m. in the 1400 block of Stannage Avenue, and at 11 p.m. at Sixth Street and University Avenue.
Saturday, June 14
Four robberies were reported: at 12:16 a.m. at West and Delaware streets; at 12:17 p.m. in the 1300 block of Ninth Street; at 7:30 a.m. at Addison and Seventh streets; and at 5:42 p.m. in the 1000 block of University Avenue.
Two commercial burglaries were reported, at 2:10 a.m. in the 2900 block of College Avenue, and at 8 p.m. in the 2300 block of Durant Avenue.
A home burglary was reported at 12:15 p.m. in the 2100 block of Seventh Street.
A man wanted for weapons violations and kidnapping was arrested in Berkeley on Saturday night after crashing into several vehicles on the highway and sending two people to the hospital. According to the California Highway Patrol, the agency received a call shortly before 7 p.m. about a “reckless driver in a small red vehicle” on Interstate 80 near Gilman Street in Berkeley. Read more on Berkeleyside.
Sunday, June 15
Two felony assaults or batteries were reported, at 12:35 a.m. in the 2300 block of Shattuck Avenue, and at 1:50 p.m. in the 2000 block of University.
Just before 6:40 a.m., BART police received a call from a female who said another woman was swinging a metal fence pole at her at the Ashby BART station, according to Alicia Trost, BART spokeswoman. An officer arrived and made contact with both parties. Both females, who are homeless and know each other, Trost said, were involved in a dispute over the portable restrooms in the parking lot. According to police, the dispute began after the woman identified as the victim had urinated on Valena Cordero, who “became irate,” found a metal pole nearby and swung it at her, though she did not make contact. Cordero, 30, was issued a prohibition order and booked into Berkeley Jail on suspicion of attempted assault with a deadly weapon. Cordero is no longer in custody and charges do not appear to have been filed by the Alameda County district attorney’s office.
Two home burglaries were reported, at 11 a.m. in the 1900 block of Bonita Avenue, and at 1 p.m. in the 1300 block of Berkeley Way.
Two vehicles were reported stolen, at 12:30 p.m. in the 2500 block of Hillegass Avenue, and at 8 p.m. at Bancroft Way and College Avenue.
The University of California Police Department received a report of a sexual battery in the Tang Center parking lot at about 10:50 p.m. A 20-year-old woman was walking on Oxford Street near Kittredge Street. As she approached Bancroft Way, she noticed a man on a bicycle, near the Touchless Gas Station, staring at her. The woman continued walking south and crossed Bancroft. The victim was walking through the Tang Center parking lot when the man approached her and grabbed her chest. She yelled and he fled on the bicycle. UCPD officers searched the area but could not find the man. He was described as Hispanic, in his 20s, 5 feet 7 inches tall, with a medium build. He had a full beard and was wearing a black hooded sweatshirt. Police said his bicycle was a “new looking” black-colored fixed-gear bike with black spokes and straight “horned” handlebars “with the ends going up.” Police ask anyone with information about the man or the incident to call UCPD at 510-642-6760. (Berkeleyside originally reported this incident June 16.)
Monday, June 16
Two commercial burglaries were reported, at 3:50 a.m. in the 1600 block of University, and at 1:05 p.m. in the 2000 block of University.
A home burglary was reported at 8 a.m. in the 2400 block of Piedmont Avenue.
A 7-year-old boy on a bicycle sustained serious injuries after being involved in a traffic accident on Bancroft Way at Acton Street in West Berkeley. Berkeley Police spokeswoman Officer Jennifer Coats said the department received a call just after 4 p.m. about an incident involving a car and cyclist. Police said this week that the boy has been released from the hospital and is home recovering. Read more on Berkeleyside.
The University of California Police Department released a statement about a violent strong-arm robbery at 6:25 p.m. on the west side of Davidson Hall. A 20-year-old male student was talking on his phone on Haste Street near Unit 2. when two men approached him: “One of the suspects went behind the victim while the second suspect stepped in front of him and pushed him into the other suspect. The suspects demanded his phone and the victim refused.” According to police, the man began to punch the student in his back. The men grabbed the student and moved him to the west side of Davidson Hall, then took his phone and fled southbound on College Avenue in a green 1990s four-door vehicle. Officers searched the area but could not locate the suspects or their vehicle. The victim sustained minor injuries but declined medical treatment. The robbers were described as black men in their 20s with thin muscular builds, short hair and no facial hair. One was 6 feet 4 inches tall and wore a white T-shirt and dark baggy jeans. The other was 5 feet 9 inches tall and wore an orange shirt. Police ask anyone with information about the incident to call UCPD at 510-642-6760.
Tuesday, June 17
Two home burglaries were reported, at 8 a.m. in the 1100 block of Camelia Street, and at 11 p.m. in the 900 block of Addison Street.
A vehicle was reported stolen at 2 p.m. in the 1200 block of Gilman Street.
Wednesday, June 18
Two vehicles were reported stolen, at 12:01 a.m. in the 1700 block of Allston Way, and at 10:30 p.m. in the 2200 block of Dwight Way.
Three robberies were reported: at 8 a.m. in the 1200 block of 65th Street; at 3:15 p.m. in the 2400 block of Ashby Avenue; and at 9:24 p.m. in the 1000 block of University.
There were at least two other robberies that morning, according to a victim who said he was robbed at 6:40 a.m. by two men with a gun on the west side of the North Berkeley BART parking lot. He said the men were loitering by one of the stairways, wearing hooded winter coats. The victim said he had been walking up the parking lot road near Francisco Street when one of the men walked up to him and said, “Excuse me, sir, give me your cash,” and took out a 9mm handgun from his jacket, pointing it at the victim’s stomach. The victim complied and the men left. But, according to the victim, the men then exited the lot on the north side and headed down Acton Street toward Cedar Street where they robbed another man, who was in his 50s. The victim said the men appeared to be about 30 years old and were approximately 6 feet tall. The one with the gun had a slighter build, about 180 pounds, and the other was heavier set at around 210 pounds. One wore a solid dark-colored jacket, and the other had on a blue jacket with a yellow stripe near the shoulders.
Two commercial burglaries were reported, at 9:35 a.m. in the 1900 block of San Pablo Avenue, and at 3 p.m. in the 2000 block of Durant Avenue.
A felony sexual assault was reported at 10:45 a.m. at California and Ward streets.
Other recent incidents
Officers arrested a Fremont man June 22 after a crash on Interstate 80 just west of Gilman Street, according to California Highway Patrol spokesman Sean Wilkenfeld. Officers were alerted to the crash at about 5:30 a.m. When they arrived to the area they found an overturned 20- to 25-foot-long motorhome and a jackknifed tow truck that had been towing a sedan. Two other vehicles were also involved in the wreck. The initial investigation found that the motorhome, driven by Laron Presley, 46, came to a stop on the freeway, which caused the tow truck to hit it. That, in turn, caused the motorhome to overturn. Presley was arrested for an outstanding no-bail warrant for drug-related charges. Two lanes on the highway were closed for about four hours while officers investigated what had happened. The tow truck driver sustained minor injuries and was taken to a local hospital. Occupants of two other vehicles were also taken to area hospitals for medical treatment.
The University of California Police Department reported the arrest of a man alleged to have tried to steal a golf cart on campus June 22 just after 10 p.m. According to a statement released by UCPD, a campus community services officer noticed a suspicious person entering a locked construction site, and alerted UCPD dispatch. Officers responded, and found a man identified as 53-year-old Gary Wyrick, who was wearing a top hat and white coat, and attempting to steal the golf cart, police said. Authorities said Wyrick had entered the site by cutting a hole in the fencing with wire cutters. Officers said they searched Wyrick and found burglary tools and a knife. He was arrested on suspicion of grand theft, possession of a weapon on UC property and vandalism to the fence. He is no longer in custody, according to the Alameda County district attorney’s office.
The University of California Police Department asked visitors to campus to be on the lookout after a spate of auto burglaries on campus in June. UCPD reported 15 auto burglaries on and around campus as of June 23. The incidents took place in the Lower Hearst and Ellsworth parking structures, Coffer Dam, Foothill and Witter Field lots, Stadium Rim Way and the Clark Kerr Campus. Most of the burglaries have been via window smash or window pry. Read crime prevention tips for auto burglaries from UCPD.
See the full list of Berkeley Police Department calls for service on CrimeMapping.com. See the list of calls to UC Police at Berkeley, which are also posted on CrimeMapping. 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. 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.
Related:
21-year-old arrested in felony hit-and-run car wreck (06.20.14)
Berkeley adopts anti-bias policing policy, commits to collecting stop data on race (06.19.14)
Alleged Berkeley Hills robber headed to court (06.19.14)
2 men charged after back-to-back Berkeley robberies (06.17.14)
7-year-old cyclist in serious condition after traffic accident in Berkeley (06.16.14)
Berkeleyside Blotter: Crime in Berkeley, June 5-11 (06.16.14)
Berkeley police chase leads to stolen car, burglary tools (06.16.14)
Wanted man causes major injury wreck on I-80 (06.14.14)
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