Police arrested four males from Berkeley and Richmond last week after linking them to a carjacking and robbery in May.
Authorities said the group lured a 20-year-old Rodeo man into Berkeley with an advertisement for a pair of sneakers.
Berkeley Police spokeswoman Officer Jennifer Coats said the victim met up with the group at 8:45 p.m. May 6 in the 1500 block of Harmon Street in South Berkeley.
Three males approached the Rodeo man while he was in his vehicle. One of them asked if he was there to buy shoes, Coats said.
They talked about the price of the shoes for a few minutes. When the Rodeo man went to get the money to pay for the shoes, the group tried to lure him down a driveway, Coats said.
When he refused and started to leave, one of the males grabbed him and waved a gun at him, demanding his property.
One of the other males went through his pockets. He was able to run away but, as he ran, he noticed that one of the robbers had gotten into his vehicle, and the robber then drove away.
Police ultimately identified 22-year-old Lesley Grayson and a 17-year-old male, both of Berkeley, as well as Markell Henry, 21, and David Goss, 20, both of Richmond, as the ones responsible for the robbery and carjacking.
Police obtained warrants for all four Aug. 18.
They arrested Grayson at his Berkeley home Aug. 19. During a warrant search, police found what appeared to be marijuana, as well as cash and evidence of marijuana sales. He was arrested on suspicion of possession of marijuana for sales, carjacking, robbery, conspiracy and other violations.
That day, police also arrested the male who was 17 at the time of the robbery at his Berkeley home on suspicion of robbery, carjacking, conspiracy and other violations, Coats said. He has since turned 18, but no further information is expected to be available about his involvement with the case due to privacy laws involving minors.
Police arrested Henry on Aug. 20 at his Richmond home in connection with those same crimes.
Coats said Goss learned of the warrant out for his arrest and turned himself in to the Berkeley Police Department on Aug. 25. He too was arrested on suspicion of the same crimes.
Two of the men have since been charged, according to the Alameda County district attorney’s office.
Grayson and Goss, who is identified with the last name of “Gossross” by the Alameda County sheriff’s department, were scheduled for an attorney and plea hearing Thursday morning at the Wiley W. Manuel Courthouse in downtown Oakland.
Both remain in custody at Santa Rita Jail. Grayson is being held on $175,000 bail, and Goss on $125,000.
It was not immediately clear why charges were not filed against Henry.
Berkeleyside has requested additional information from the Alameda County district attorney’s office, and will update this post when that is provided.
Related:
2 men arrested in Berkeley after punching, robbing teens (08.27.14)
3 teens charged after robbery via gun in Berkeley (08.12.14)
BART Police arrest juvenile in robbery series (07.30.14)
Alleged Berkeley Hills robber headed to court (06.19.14)
2 men charged after back-to-back Berkeley robberies (06.17.14)
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