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. The following items represent a sampling of calls, and times may be approximate.
From Oct. 2-8, there were reports of 25 burglaries, 33 auto break-ins or thefts from vehicles and eight stolen vehicles, according to CrimeMapping.com. Seven robberies, 27 assaults, domestic violence incidents or batteries and two sexual assaults were reported. Significant incidents from the University of California Police Department included a weapon-related call, a sex crime and a reports of vandalism. These numbers are subject to change. Click the links above for the latest numbers.
We always appreciate photographs and tips, about breaking news or neighborhood safety issues, via email at tips@berkeleyside.com or on Facebook or Twitter; please let us know up front if you prefer to be anonymous.
Thursday, Oct. 2
There was a robbery at 7:05 a.m. in the 2100 block of Shattuck Avenue.
There were three home burglaries: at 10:40 a.m. in the 1800 block of Virginia Street; at noon in the 2100 block of Kittredge Street; and at 1 p.m. in the 1300 block of Virginia. Police arrested Ryan Carrihill, 41, in connection with the incident in the 1300 block of Virginia, on suspicion of burglary and assault with a deadly weapon.
Police responded to three disturbance calls: at 11 a.m. at Sacramento Street and Ashby Avenue; at 9:22 p.m. at Ninth Street and University Avenue; and at 11:20 p.m. in the 2300 block of Haste Street.
A vehicle was stolen at 7:30 p.m. in the 1600 block of Berkeley Way.
A man told the BART Police that his $450 green Windsor Tourist bicycle was stolen while it was cable locked to the bike racks at the Ashby BART station between 5:15 p.m. and 9:50 p.m.
Friday, Oct. 3
A misdemeanor sexual assault took place at midnight at Woolsey Street and Shattuck, and a felony sexual assault took place at 5 a.m. at Bancroft Way and Fourth Street.
There were five robberies: at 8:46 a.m. in the 1500 block of University Avenue; at 11:20 a.m. at Hearst and McGee avenues; at 7 p.m. at Second and Jones streets; at 7:30 p.m. in the 1700 block of Hearst; and at 11:50 p.m. in the 2300 block of Parker Street.
A home was burglarized at 10:30 a.m. in the 1600 block of Capistrano Avenue.
A vehicle was stolen at 2:30 p.m. in the 2600 block of Bancroft.
Three businesses were burglarized: at 6:45 p.m. in the 1600 block of Shattuck; at 8 p.m. in the 1800 block of Euclid Avenue; and at 10:30 p.m. in the 2600 block of Telegraph Avenue.
Police handled a call involving a gun or other weapon at 7:30 p.m. at 66th and Sacramento streets.
There was a felony assault or battery at 8:30 p.m. at Fourth and Hearst.
UCPD investigated a weapons-related call at People’s Park at 9:29 p.m.
Police responded to a disturbance at 9:45 p.m. in the 2100 block of Shattuck, and a second-response call at 10:39 p.m. in the 2400 block of Warring Street.
Saturday, Oct. 4
There was a felony assault or battery at 12:30 a.m. in the 2500 block of Durant Avenue. Police arrested three men after they reportedly attacked a 19-year-old UC Berkeley student who tried to stop a fight. According to a statement released by the University of California Police Department, a large fight broke out in the 2500 block of Durant Avenue, between Telegraph Avenue and Bowditch Street, just after 12:30 a.m. The student saw the fight and yelled at the group to stop the violence, police said. The group broke apart, but several of its members then turned on the student, striking him in the head with a bottle. Three involved men fled the scene, but were arrested by police in the 2400 block of Durant. The student was taken to the hospital with head injuries. Police identified the assailants as Nicholas Carson, 25, Hack Culling, 21, and Sergie Flores, 23. They were arrested on suspicion of felony assault, but are no longer in custody. (This item first appeared in our crime blotter last week for timeliness.)
Police arrested 22-year-old Avante Coleman of Berkeley on suspicion of driving under the influence and evasion just before 1 a.m. No location was available.
Early Saturday, just after 1:30 a.m., half a dozen residents reported hearing what sounded like gunfire in South Berkeley. Said one, on Twitter, “pretty sure i just heard an assault rifle empty a full clip in south #berkeley.” Said another, on Facebook, “Heard about 7 shots in the night around 1:30 AM … somewhere near King and Prince. Any news what happened?” Berkeleyside listened to the police scanner at that time, and heard officers say an involved vehicle might have sped off on 63rd Street toward Sacramento Street. They were unable to locate any signs of a shooting. A Berkeley Police watch commander the following day said there was no information in the system about the incident. Those who are interested can listen to Berkeley police scanner feeds online. (This item first appeared in our crime blotter last week for timeliness.)
A home was burglarized at 10 a.m. in the 2500 block of Hillegass Avenue.
A vehicle was stolen at 2:05 p.m. in the 3200 block of Shattuck.
Someone reportedly brandished a weapon at 6:47 p.m. in the 800 block of Bolivar Drive. At 9:03 p.m., police responded to a call involving a gun or other weapon at Harper Street and Ashby Avenue.
Police responded to a disturbance at 10:08 p.m. at San Pablo and Folger avenues.
Sunday, Oct. 5
There were three commercial burglaries: at 3 a.m. in the 1700 block of Fourth; at 4:08 a.m. in the 1400 block of University Avenue; and at 5:38 a.m. in the 1800 block of Shattuck.
A man reported that his $1,400 men’s blue Bianchi Volpe 30-speed road bicycle was stolen while it was locked to the bike racks in the North Berkeley BART station between 5 p.m. Saturday and 9:12 a.m. Sunday, according to the BART Police. The bike had been secured with a U-lock.
Police arrested Evan Downey, 22, at 3:30 p.m. at Center Street and Shattuck Avenue on suspicion of carrying a concealed dirk or dagger, making criminal threats and petty theft. The BART Police released a short description of the incident. According to that item, while at the corner of Center and Shattuck, an officer saw two men arguing: “Suddenly, one of the males brandished a knife at the other and the officer intervened by ordering, at gunpoint, him into the prone position. The male complied and the officer placed him in handcuffs without further incident.” Berkeley Police officers arrived and took custody the man. No one was injured during the incident.
There was a felony assault or battery at 8:13 p.m. at Fifth and Harrison streets.
A vehicle was stolen at 8:45 p.m. in the 1700 block of Ward Street.
Police arrested Charles Jackson, 47, at 10:44 p.m. and 34-year-old Donnita Bradley of Berkeley just before 11 p.m. on Shattuck and Kittredge Street on suspicion of possession or purchase for sale of cocaine, transporting a controlled substance, resisting arrest and child endangerment. Jackson also was arrested on suspicion of misdemeanor battery on a peace officer, firefighter or other type of first responder.
Monday, Oct. 6
There were three home burglaries: at 9 a.m. in the 1700 block of McGee; at 9:30 a.m. in the 1400 block of Bancroft; and at 1:30 p.m. in the 2300 block of Blake Street.
There was a felony assault or battery at 9:20 a.m. at Sixth Street and Hearst Avenue.
Police responded to two disturbance calls, at 9:30 a.m. in the 2100 block of Kittredge, and at 11:36 a.m. in the 2500 block of Telegraph.
Two vehicles were stolen, at 9 p.m. in the 1500 block of Martin Luther King Jr. Way, and at 11:34 p.m. in the 2100 block of the same street.
Tuesday, Oct. 7
Three homes were burgled: at 3:11 a.m. in the 2700 block of Dwight; at 7:50 a.m. in the 1400 block of Acton Crescent; and at 3:45 p.m. in the 1200 block of Francisco Street. Police arrested 38-year-old Michael Stoddard on suspicion of burglary and possession of a controlled substance in connection with the Dwight Way incident. Stoddard also was arrested in Berkeley in June after police said he burglarized a Budget rental car and fled when police tried to stop him.
There were two commercial burglaries, at 5 a.m. in the 2900 block of Domingo, and at 5:18 a.m. in the 3000 block of Ashby Avenue.
There were two weapons-related calls involving brandishing, at 8 a.m. at Harrison and Eighth streets, and at 10:40 p.m. in the 1400 block of Oregon Street.
There was a robbery at 9 a.m. in the 1900 block of Allston Way.
From the BART Police: An officer detained a man for fare evasion in the downtown Berkeley BART station at 9:14 a.m. A records check revealed that the subject had a felony no-bail warrant charging violation of parole by the California Department of Corrections. The man was arrested and booked into the Berkeley City Jail for his warrant.
Residents in North Berkeley were concerned about the presence of a helicopter and police in the area and asked Berkeleyside to find out more. Kensington Police Chief Gregory Harman said, in a prepared statement, that officers had arrested a man and woman spotted in a stolen car, who dumped the vehicle after a car chase and managed to evade police for several hours. Eventually the man, identified as 33-year-old Justin Travis Pereira of Hayward, a parolee at large, was found with the help of a police canine. Harman said Pereira had hidden in an attic of a home in the 100 block of York Avenue in Kensington. The woman, identified as 23-year-old Karis Garcia of Oakland, was spotted by police running across Arlington Avenue and Sunset Drive, and taken into custody. The incident began at 11:35 a.m. when Kensington Police Officer Chris Turner saw what he identified as a suspicious vehicle leaving the dead end of Lake Street in Kensington. He began to follow the vehicle, and its driver sped off, according to police. Turner found the vehicle in the 700 block of Wellesley Avenue abandoned and having “jumped the curb.” Police found the vehicle to have been stolen out of Hayward. Inside, they found a gun, stolen property and burglary tools. El Cerrito police and a canine from that department, along with the CHP helicopter, assisted in a search for the suspects. The search was called off at 1:30 p.m. after no one had been found. At 3:45 p.m., someone called police to report two suspicious people on Arlington Avenue who matched the suspects being sought by police. Officers responded and arrested Garcia, but the man managed to outrun two officers who tried to detain him. Police set up a perimeter near Westminster and York avenues, and brought back El Cerrito officers and the police canine for a house-to-house search. Ultimately, officers zeroed in on 100 York Ave. and arrested Pereira, who “gave himself up before the K9 unit engaged him,” Harman said. Garcia and Pereira were taken to the Martinez Detention Center and were arrested on suspicion of possession of a stolen vehicle, stolen property and burglary tools, being a felon in possession of a firearm, and evading and resisting arrest.
Police responded to a disturbance at 6:35 p.m. in the 2100 block of Shattuck Avenue.
UCPD investigated a sex crime in UC Berkeley’s Unit 2 Cunningham Hall at 2650 Haste St. at 7:22 p.m.
A vehicle was stolen at 10:30 p.m. in the 600 block of Arlington Avenue.
Wednesday, Oct. 8
Thieves broke into three homes: at 1:35 a.m. in the 1400 block of Milvia Street; at 11:30 a.m. in the 2600 block of College Avenue; and at 5:35 p.m. in the 2400 block of Curtis Street.
A 72-year-old woman who was stabbed in South Berkeley in September died after nearly three weeks in medical care, according to authorities. Nancy Jo McClellan of Emeryville died at approximately 2:30 a.m., said Berkeley Police Capt. Andrew Greenwood. Berkeleyside will continue to follow the story.
Police responded to a disturbance at 9 a.m. in the 1200 block of University.
There was a felony assault or battery at 4 p.m. at Shattuck and Allston Way.
A vehicle was stolen at 5:30 p.m. in the 1400 block of Ward Street.
A business was burglarized at 6:32 p.m. in the 2300 block of Telegraph.
Other notable incidents
Police recovered a firearm that was ditched after some type of deal between two men in West Berkeley. On Tuesday, Oct. 14, at 12:45 p.m., officers responded to University Avenue and Seventh Street for a report of someone with a machine gun. The men were gone when police arrived, but police found out more during their subsequent investigation. Police said two men had parked in separate vehicles on Seventh then became involved in some type of exchange: “One of the men (standing next to a dark SUV) ‘flashed’ the other man (standing next to Toyota) with a firearm — causing the man from the Toyota to run away.” According to Officer Byron White, a Berkeley Police spokesman, the man with the firearm then took something out of the Toyota and put it into his SUV. He threw the firearm into the bushes and drove off. When police arrived, they retrieved the firearm. The incident remains under investigation.
Residents around Dwight Way and Sacramento Street said they heard eight “sharp bangs” that sounded like gunshots early Monday, Oct. 13, around 1:30 a.m. Police responded to the area — around Dwight and McGee Avenue — and interviewed people who may have heard the noises, but no arrests were made.
Police are looking for two young men, 18 to 20 years old, who reportedly robbed a UC Berkeley student in his dorm room. Read more on Berkeleyside.
Police arrested two 18-year-olds Saturday, Oct. 11, after authorities say they robbed an 18-year-old UC Berkeley student just before 12:40 a.m., while threatening to have a firearm. The incident took place on the north side of Alumni House, on the south side of the UC Berkeley campus. The student had been walking when two young men approached, demanded his property and gestured as if they had a firearm, according to a statement released by UCPD. He complied and the suspects fled with his property. The victim called UCPD using a campus blue light emergency phone. UCPD searched the area and detained two young men nearby. The victim identified them as the robbers, and they were arrested. Police recovered the victim’s property during a search related to the arrest. Police identified the robbers as Jalen Carr-Harris and Ronald Paul, both 18-year-old Berkeley residents. Carr-Harris remained in custody as of Tuesday night, with a bail of $50,000, but Paul had been released on a bond for his $50,000 bail, according to the Alameda County district attorney’s office. Both have been charged with robbery. (Berkeleyside has asked whether either student attended BUSD schools, and will update this story if more information is provided.)
Police arrested two teenagers after they reportedly robbed someone of a pound of medical marijuana in South Berkeley on Friday at about 6:25 p.m., authorities said. According to Berkeley Police Lt. Dave Frankel, the suspects had arranged online to buy the marijuana from someone in San Pablo, but used a gun to rob the seller when the deal was to take place, near Adeline and Fairview streets. After the robbery, the suspects went behind a house in the 3200 block of Ellis Street. Police responded to the area and detained the men nearby, in a rear yard in the 1800 block of Harmon Street. No weapon was recovered. Police identified the men as Jared Williams and Jamel Carroll, both 18-year-old Berkeley residents. Williams remained in custody Tuesday night, with a bail of $50,000, but Carroll had posted a bond for his $100,000 bail, and had been released, according to the Alameda County district attorney’s office. (Berkeleyside has asked whether either student attended BUSD schools, and will update this story if more information is provided.)
A 63-year-old man, reported in June by KTVU to have 15 felony convictions dating back to the 1970s, is back in jail for a parole violation after being arrested in Berkeley on Sept. 21 just after 8:30 p.m. KTVU reported on the June 25 arrest of Terrace Franks, who Berkeley Police said stole a $250 stroller off a porch near Prince Street and Telegraph Avenue. A homeowner caught the man identified as Franks on video with a home security system. KTVU said a man matching Franks’ description also stole a package containing a handmade Ethiopian wedding dress from a home in Oakland the week before, and that police were looking into whether the incidents were related. (Read more on KTVU.) A tipster who got in touch with Berkeleyside over the summer, who lives in South Berkeley, said via email that Franks has frequented the area for quite some time: “In the past two years, we have seen him countless times riding a bike with a child cart containing tools or other objects.” According to the Alameda County sheriff’s department, Franks is scheduled for a hearing in which the district attorney’s office has petitioned to revoke his parole Friday at 9 a.m. He is being held without bail at Santa Rita Jail.
See the full list of Berkeley Police Department crime reports 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 reports may be added to CrimeMapping in an unpredictable manner, so numbers may increase slightly in the days after this report. This post does not reflect every call. See recent Berkeley crime blotters here.
Related:
After community tip, police arrest SF woman tied to violent Berkeley assault (10.14.14)
Noose at Berkeley High raised concerns over past suicide (10.14.14)
Police search for 2 after dorm room robbery in Berkeley (10.13.14)
Reward offered for identification of Berkeley park vandal (10.13.14)
Berkeleyside blotter: Crime in Berkeley, 9/25-10/1 (10.10.14)
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.
