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. The following items represent a sampling of calls, and times may be approximate.
From Oct. 23-29, there were reports of 13 burglaries, 33 auto break-ins or thefts from vehicles and six stolen vehicles, according to CrimeMapping.com. Nine robberies, 17 assaults, domestic violence incidents or batteries and no sexual assaults were reported. Significant incidents from the University of California Police Department included a burglary, three robberies and a weapon-related call. These numbers are subject to change. Click the links above for the latest numbers.
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Thursday, Oct. 23
There were two felony assaults or batteries, at 4:29 a.m. at Ashby Avenue and Seventh Street, and at 12:41 p.m. in the 1700 block of Fourth Street.
A home was burglarized at 9 a.m. in the 1300 block of Curtis Street.
A man linked to an armed carjacking in West Berkeley over the weekend, after reportedly ditching another stolen vehicle, was charged Thursday with the Oakland murder of a 78-year-old man.
The University of California Police Department released a statement about a sexual battery on the afternoon of Thursday, Oct. 23. In that incident, a 20-year-old student was eating lunch near the Free Speech Café, on the south side of the Moffitt Library, when a man came up and asked her for food. She gave him some, and he then sat down and asked her for money: “Feeling uncomfortable the victim said she had to leave. He asked her if he could hug her. She let him hug her thinking he was thanking her for the food. While hugging the victim, the suspect touched her inappropriately.” The man was last seen walking westbound toward the Valley Life Sciences Building on campus. Police searched but could not find the man, who was described as black, 30 years old, with a dark complexion, medium build and a “Van Dyke” beard. He was wearing a black coat that was zipped up, with an ID-type badge around his neck and blue denim jeans. Police said the woman thought the man might be homeless because of his appearance and body odor. (This item first appeared in last week’s crime blotter for timeliness.)
Police responded to two disturbance calls, at 4 p.m. in the 2300 block of Bancroft Way, and at 10:40 p.m. at Telegraph Avenue and Carleton Street.
A judge freed a woman arrested after the killing of a Berkeley man in February, but ruled Thursday that her boyfriend must face the murder charge against him in the case. Read more on Berkeleyside.
A thief stole a $100 woman’s purple bicycle from the Ashby BART station between 8 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. It had been locked at the bike racks, according to the BART Police.
UCPD received a report from a campus security authority that a female student said she had been drugged and sexually assaulted at a fraternity. The assault occurred approximately two weeks prior on a Saturday after a football game during the daylight hours. UCPD gave the information to the Berkeley Police Department, which advised that it had received no reports about that incident. (This item first appeared in last week’s crime blotter for timeliness.)
Friday, Oct. 24
Three vehicles were stolen: at 2 a.m. in the 2200 block of Woolsey Street; at 4:45 a.m. in the 1700 block of Derby Street; and at 10 p.m. in the 1200 block of Masonic Avenue.
There were five robberies: at 3:18 a.m. in the 2000 block of University Avenue; at 4 a.m. at Regent and Parker streets; at 7:50 p.m. at Jefferson Avenue and Allston Way; at 9:55 p.m. at Russell and California streets; and at 10:50 p.m. at Channing Way and Shattuck Avenue.
Police responded to two disturbance calls, at 8 a.m. in the 1700 block of Rose Street, and at 2:40 p.m. in the 3200 block of Adeline Street.
There was a commercial burglary at 8:10 a.m. in the 2700 block of Prince Street.
A 27-year-old Berkeley man was sentenced to 12 years in prison for the 2008 stabbing of a UC Berkeley student during a “drunken brawl,” according to the Oakland Tribune. Andrew Hoeft-Edenfield was a Berkeley City College student when, according to authorities, he and some friends got into a fight with some Cal fraternity members. Attorneys for Hoeft-Edenfield said he was defending himself when he stabbed 21-year-old Christopher Wootton. Read more in the Oakland Tribune.
There was a felony assault or battery at 3:44 p.m. in the 1900 block of Allston. Police responded to a large mob of students at Berkeley High School; a teacher was hit in the head with a bottle during the fracas, and required treatment at the hospital. A student who was at the rally shared his reflections in Berkeleyside’s Opinionator section.
A woman reported the theft of her black leather wallet from the floor of the Ashby BART station at 10:24 p.m. She said she accidentally dropped it on the ground and a man took it. The man was described as in his 20s, 5 feet 9 inches tall, with a scruffy face and brown hair, according to the BART Police. Officers searched the area but could not find the man.
Saturday, Oct. 25
There was a felony assault or battery at 5:55 a.m. in the 2100 block of Kittredge Street.
Police responded to a disturbance at 6:43 p.m. in the 900 block of Heinz Avenue.
The University of California Police Department said there were three robberies on campus of male Cal students. Two victims suffered minor physical injuries during those incidents. In all three cases UCPD searched the area but could not locate the suspects. UCPD asks anyone with information about the robberies to call 510-642-6760. (A description from police about all three incidents first appeared at the bottom of last week’s crime blotter for timeliness.) In the first, at 7:51 p.m., a 24-year-old man was walking on the path south of the Eucalyptus Grove when a male demanded his property. The robber punched the victim in the face, then fled northbound out of the Grove. He was described as 15-25 years old, approximately 5 feet 6 inches tall and was wearing a baseball cap and dark pullover sweatshirt. The second incident occurred minutes later, involved a threat of a firearm and took place on Strawberry Creek Bridge west of Moffitt Library. A 20-year-old man was approached by two boys, one of whom told the student he would “shoot him if he didn’t give him his property,” according to UCPD. The student complied and the robbers fled toward Oxford. The suspects were described as 10-12 years old and about 5 feet tall. At around 10:45 p.m., the third incident occurred when a 22-year-old man was walking on Frank Schlessinger Way toward Oxford when three teens — two boys and a girl who appeared 14-16 years old — confronted him. One of the boys threatened the student and began going through his pockets. The girl took cash from the student’s wallet. The other boy punched the victim in the face. They ran east on Frank Schlessinger Way. A detailed description was not provided.
A vehicle was stolen at 9:30 p.m. at Roosevelt Avenue and Dwight Way.
A thief stole a dark blue $200 Specialized men’s road bike, 21-speed, while it was locked in the concourse area of Ashby BART between 6 p.m. and 11:45 p.m., according to the BART Police.
Sunday, Oct. 26
Police responded to two “second response” calls, at 12:27 a.m. in the 2200 block of Channing Way, and at 1:55 a.m. in the 2400 block of Prospect Street.
Two homes were burglarized, at 11:15 a.m. in the 1600 block of Jaynes Street, and at 1:05 p.m. in the 2300 block of Dwight Way.
BART Police arrested a man on suspicion of public intoxication at 5:55 p.m. after someone flagged down an officer and reported someone who was disturbing the peace at Ashby BART.
There were two robberies, at 10:10 p.m. in the 2900 block of Otis Street, and at 10:10 p.m. in the 2400 block of Dwight Way. Police arrested 40-year-old Maurice Johnson of Berkeley in connection with the Otis Street incident on suspicion of robbery, as well as battery with serious bodily injury and parole violation.
Police responded to a disturbance at 10:40 p.m. at Shattuck and Allston.
Monday, Oct. 27
A home was burglarized at 12:13 a.m. in the 2300 block of Channing Way. The University of California Police Department also noted a burglary at Campbell Hall at 12:48 p.m.
A business was burglarized at 11:50 a.m. in the 2300 block of Shattuck.
A vehicle was stolen at 6 p.m. in the 1500 block of Alcatraz Avenue.
According to the BART Police, a thief stole a locked men’s Denali 21-speed road bicycle from the North Berkeley BART station bike racks between 9:45 a.m. and 6 p.m.
Tuesday, Oct. 28
A home was burglarized at 10:10 a.m. in the 1300 block of Curtis Street.
Three businesses were burglarized: at 11:01 a.m. in the 900 block of Heinz; at 12:40 p.m. in the 1400 block of Shattuck; and at 7:24 p.m. in the 2300 block of Shattuck. Police arrested 23-year-old Ericka Fuller and 25-year-old Kiara Smith on suspicion of second-degree burglary and the manufacture of a fictitious check in connection with the 12:40 p.m. incident.
Police responded to a disturbance at 4:15 p.m. in the 2000 block of Berkeley Way.
There was a felony assault at 10:40 p.m. in the 1900 block of Shattuck. Police arrested 54-year-old James Sims of Berkeley on suspicion of assault likely to produce great bodily injury, threats of violence and the possession of a leaded cane, such as a “billy, blackjack, sandbag, sandclub, sap, or slungshot,” according to the penal code.
Wednesday, Oct. 29
A business was burglarized at 4:43 a.m. in the 1400 block of University Avenue.
Two homes were burglarized, at 4 p.m. in the 2800 block of Wallace Street, and at 5:30 p.m. in the 2200 block of Ward Street.
UCPD handled a weapons call at 6:15 p.m. in People’s Park.
A vehicle was stolen at 7:30 p.m. in the 2200 block of Channing.
A man in his 20s was shot and killed in the parking lot of a market near the Berkeley Marina, according to East Bay Regional Park District police. Read more on Berkeleyside.
There were two robberies, at 8:10 p.m. in the 900 block of University, and at 10:28 p.m. at Haste and Ellsworth streets. Police arrested 22-year-old Emilio Castenado, 22-year-old Romelo Rincon and Jose Minor, 21, on suspicion of second-degree robbery in connection with the incident at Haste and Ellsworth.
There was a felony assault or battery at 9:30 p.m. in the 2100 block of Kittredge Street.
Other recent incidents
A man with a violent past in Berkeley was shot to death in North Oakland on Saturday, Nov. 1. Terryl Rucker, 26, was standing outside a neighborhood market on West Street south of 40th Street when he was gunned down, according to media reports.
BART Police said a thief stole a catalytic converter from a Honda Accord parked at the North Berkeley BART station on Monday, Nov. 3, between 8 a.m. and 3:30 p.m.
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:
Man killed near Seabreeze market in West Berkeley (10.29.14)
Op-ed: Admin, students share blame for BHS Rally Day mob (10.29.14)
Berkeleyside blotter: Crime in Berkeley, Oct. 16-22 (10.28.14)
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