This is an overview 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 Nov. 6-12, there were reports of 15 burglaries, 13 auto break-ins or thefts from vehicles, six stolen vehicles and nine disturbances, according to CrimeMapping.com. Ten robberies, 14 assaults or batteries, three weapon-related calls and two sexual assaults were reported. Significant incidents from the University of California Police Department included two robberies, two sex crimes and a burglary. These numbers are subject to change. Click the links above for the latest numbers.
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Thursday, Nov. 6
Authorities searched a South Berkeley home in the early morning hours in connection with a fatal shooting at the Seabreeze market in October. Read more on Berkeleyside.
There was a robbery at 2:25 p.m. at Virginia Street and Stannage Avenue.
Friday, Nov. 7
There were two robberies, at noon in the 2000 block of Kittredge Street, and at 2 p.m. at Virginia Gardens and Virginia Street.
Someone reportedly brandished a weapon at 4:13 p.m. in the 1700 block of Fourth Street.
A BART train operator reported seeing a man walking through the tunnel at about 5:40 p.m. approximately 100 yards from the downtown Berkeley station. The man left the station before officers arrived, but was described by witnesses as having “a blank stare.” Officers used a police canine to search the area but were unable to find the man.
According to the BART Police, a thief stole a red $300 Trek-brand road bike that had been U-locked at the downtown Berkeley station between 8:45 a.m. and 9 p.m.
Police responded to a call involving a gun or other weapon at 9:41 p.m. at Durant Avenue and Milvia Street.
Police responded to an arson at 10 p.m. in the 2100 block of Shattuck Avenue.
Police handled a “second response” call at 11:19 p.m. in the 2500 block of Benvenue Avenue.
Saturday, Nov. 8
A vehicle was stolen at noon in the 1500 block of 63rd Street.
There were two home burglaries, at 12:40 p.m. in the 1300 block of Francisco Street, and at 6 p.m. in the 2500 block of Warring Street.
Police responded to four disturbance calls: at 4:15 p.m. in the 2100 block of Spaulding Avenue; at 4:30 p.m. in the 1900 block of Sixth Street; at 6:11 p.m. in the 2300 block of Telegraph Avenue; and at 9:55 p.m. at San Pablo Avenue and Delaware Street.
Shortly before 4:30 p.m., a man jumped onto the tracks in front of a BART train at the North Berkeley station. Read more on Berkeleyside.
Sunday, Nov. 9
UCPD responded to a report of a sex crime at 5:16 a.m. at 2424 Haste St., at Rochdale Apartments, a UC Berkeley student co-op.
Police responded to a report of a deceased 20-year-old man at a Berkeley fraternity shortly after noon. Read more on Berkeleyside.
There were two robberies, at 3:10 p.m. in the 1600 block of University Avenue, and at 8 p.m. in the 2300 block of Shattuck Avenue. Police arrested John Adkins, 34, at 3:30 p.m. on suspicion of second-degree robbery in connection with the University Avenue incident.
According to the BART police, someone whose bicycle had been stolen in San Francisco asked BART for help while preparing to meet, at Ashby station at 5 p.m., a Craigslist seller believed to have the bicycle: “Officers met with the victim and, eventually, the seller arrived with the bicycle. The victim, from a safe distance, then positively identified the bicycle.” The seller, who told police he bought the bike at a San Francisco flea market for $450, was detained without incident. A criminal history check did not reveal any arrest pattern for theft or related crimes, nor was he on active probation or parole. The bike owner got the bicycle back, and the other man was released with a citation for possessing stolen property worth less than $950.
A vehicle was stolen at 9:30 p.m. in the 2200 block of Haste Street.
A distraught man tried to jump in front of a BART train at the North Berkeley station, citing “relationship issues.” Read more on Berkeleyside.
UCPD reported two related robberies on campus. At about 9:50 p.m., a male UC Berkeley student was walking on South Campus Drive when five to six males surrounded him, pushed him from behind and took property from his pockets. The group left westbound. About 10 minutes later, two UC Berkeley students were walking on a path near the eucalyptus grove when six to seven males surrounded them and demanded their property. The victims believed one of those males had a gun, police said, and complied with the demand. The group was seen walking westbound toward Oxford Street. A UCPD officer saw a group matching the description of the robbery suspects at the downtown Berkeley BART station, and detained a 16-year-old male while the others ran away. A victim identified the teenager as one of the robbers. The other suspects were described as men in their 20s. Police ask anyone with information about them or the incidents to call UCPD’s Criminal Investigation Bureau at 510-642-6760.
Monday, Nov. 10
UCPD responded to a report of sex crime on the Clark Kerr Campus at 12:36 a.m.
There was a felony sexual assault at 4 a.m. in the 2400 block of Ashby Avenue, and a misdemeanor sexual assault at 8:15 p.m. at Channing Way and Milvia Street. In the second incident, according to Berkeley Police spokeswoman Officer Jennifer Coats, police received a call of a man exposing himself. According to the report, he had approached a woman walking in the area. He tried to ask her for directions, then pointed to his pants, exposing himself to the victim. He tried to proposition the woman to watch him, said Coats via email. Instead, the woman walked away and called police, who detained the man nearby. He was arrested on suspicion of exposing himself, and was identified as Weonjin Cho, 24, of Berkeley.
The BART Police received two stolen bike reports. A man said his black-and-gold-colored Corsaro Aegis 3-speed bike, valued at $300, was stolen from the Ashby BART station between 9 a.m. Sunday and 7 a.m. Monday. The bike had been secured with a cable lock and a U-bolt. In the second case, a man said his $200 black-and-brown-colored Virtue Model 6 7-speed bicycle was stolen while it was cable-locked to the bike racks at the North Berkeley station between 2:15 p.m. and 5:15 p.m.
There were two home burglaries, at 9:30 a.m. in the 1600 block of Belvedere Avenue, and at 4:30 p.m. in the 1300 block of Arch Street. UCPD also responded to a burglary, at 12:12 p.m. at Unit 3’s Priestley Hall.
A vehicle was stolen at noon in the 200 block of Poppy Lane.
There were two commercial burglaries, at noon in the 1100 block of Second Street, and at 10 p.m. in the 2800 block of Adeline Street.
Police responded to a call involving a weapon at 12:54 p.m. in the 2500 block of College Avenue. Police arrested 32-year-old Herbert Brown on suspicion of carrying a concealed dirk or dagger — a felony — and two misdemeanor violations, including possession of burglary tools.
Police responded to a disturbance at 6:45 p.m. in the 1900 block of Cedar Street.
Tuesday, Nov. 11
Two vehicles were stolen, at 9 a.m. in the 3000 block of Telegraph Avenue, and at 5:13 p.m. at Deakin and Webster streets.
There were four home burglaries: at 10:30 a.m. in the 1300 block of Virginia Street; at 11 a.m. in the 2900 block of Otis Street; at 11 a.m. in the 1200 block of Addison Street; and at 5 p.m. in the 1500 block of Le Roy Avenue.
There was a robbery at 6:50 p.m. in the 1900 block of Alcatraz Avenue.
Police responded to two disturbance calls, at 8:07 p.m. in the 2500 block of Russell Street, and at 9:19 p.m. in the 2900 block of Adeline Street.
There was a commercial burglary at 9 p.m. in the 1400 block of San Pablo Avenue.
Wednesday, Nov. 12
Police handled a disturbance at 6:35 a.m. in the 1800 block of San Pablo Avenue.
There were four home burglaries: at 9 a.m. in the 2300 block of Channing Way; at 2 p.m. in the 2100 block of McGee Avenue; at 9 p.m. in the 2200 block of Dwight Way; and at 11:30 p.m. in the 2400 block of Prince Street.
There were four robberies: at noon in the 1900 block of Alcatraz; shortly before 3 p.m. at Ashby and Domingo avenues; at 8:20 p.m. in the 2500 block of Telegraph; and at 11:30 p.m. at Dana and Parker streets.
- The Domingo incident did not appear on CrimeMapping, but Berkeleyside sought information about it after receiving a reader tip. A man had exited his vehicle when he was approached by three male suspects. (Police did not provide a physical description.) One of the suspects, who had a gun, grabbed the victim and held him while the others took the man’s property. During the course of the robbery, the man received non-life-threatening injuries, Coats said via email. He was treated by the Berkeley Fire Department. The suspects fled to a waiting vehicle and left the area, and police were unable to find them.
- The Dana and Parker incident, according to a UCPD statement, was an attempted robbery with threats of a firearm. A 26-year-old man was walking in the area when two men approached him and acted as if they were armed. They demanded the man’s property. One punched the man in the face, and the two would-be robbers fled on foot. Police searched the area but could not find them. The man declined medical treatment. Both robbers were described as black men in their 20s, about 5 feet 8 to 5 feet 10 inches tall with average builds. One wore a dark hooded jacket and dark pants, and the other wore all dark clothing. Police ask anyone with information about the incident to call 510-981-5900.
A vehicle was stolen at 3 p.m. at Carleton and Eighth streets.
Other recent incidents
CHP officers arrested an Oakland man after a 53-mile pursuit that began in Berkeley on Tuesday night. On Nov. 18, at about 9 p.m., an Oakland CHP officer spotted a red Dodge speeding on westbound Interstate 80 near Gilman Street, according to the CHP. The officer tried to stop the Dodge, but the driver instead exited at Gilman and got back onto the highway eastbound on I-80. The pursuit continued up to Cummings Skyway, between Rodeo and Crockett, on I-80, reaching speeds in excess of 100 mph. A CHP helicopter helped track the Dodge as it exited and re-entered the freeway multiple times. Eventually, the driver exited the freeway and changed directions, heading westbound on I-80 onto I-580 in Oakland. The driver exited I-580 at Seminary Avenue, and a short pursuit occurred on city streets. The driver ultimately tried to flee on foot at 73rd and Arthur Street. Officers captured the driver, identified as 23-year-old Lateef Omari of Oakland, with the use of a Taser. After his arrest, officers discovered that the car Omari had been driving had just been stolen out of Hercules, and had not yet been reported. Officers also learned that Omari had three warrants out for his arrest related to providing false identification, hit and run, resisting arrest and other violations. He was booked into North County Jail on his three warrants, as well as new charges that include vehicle theft and recklessly evading police.
On Monday, Nov. 17, at 11:33 p.m., UCPD responded to building 17 of the Clark Kerr Campus regarding an attempted robbery that occurred about three minutes prior. According to police, an 18-year-old female student was standing outside the building talking on her cellphone. A man approached her, grabbed her arm and demanded her phone. He fled on foot without the phone, eastbound toward Derby Street. Officers searched the area but could not find the man, who was described as white, 30 to 40 years old and approximately 5 feet 7 inches tall. He had some facial hair and was wearing a gray beanie cap, a blue zip-up hooded sweatshirt and jeans.
On Sunday, Nov. 16, shortly before 10 a.m., Berkeley Police officers responded to a report of a robbery at a business in the 3100 block of Sacramento Street, said Coats. Two suspects entered the business and ordered food to go. When the food was ready, one suspect pretended to pay for the item, but instead grabbed cash from the drawer when a business owner opened the register to accept payment. The other suspect was seen armed with a gun. The robbers fled the business, and police were unable to find them.
According to the BART Police, a robber snatched an iPhone from a woman on a BART train at Ashby station on Sunday, Nov. 16, just after 6 p.m. The passenger told police a man with a disheveled appearance grabbed her $125 iPhone 5 from her hands, and ran off as the train doors closed. The woman, who was not injured at the time of the theft, continued on the train and reported the theft to police at the downtown Berkeley station. Investigating officers met the victim there, while assisting officers unsuccessfully searched for the subject near Ashby station. The robber was described as a white man about 20 years old, 5 feet 8 inches tall with a medium build, who was wearing a tan jacket and blue jeans, and carrying a black backpack.
On Thursday, Nov. 13, a campus security authority reported to UCPD an alleged sexual assault that occurred within a campus dormitory. According to that report, a female student had attended a fraternity party, and was later escorted by a male student to her dorm, where the alleged assault took place. No additional details were released, and neither the victim or witnesses contacted UCPD directly.
See the Berkeley Police Department’s 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. The Berkeley Police Department also posts “calls for service” spreadsheets — containing more data — online for those who would like to see more. 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:
Police hold art show to raise money for turkey baskets, fundraiser tonight (11.19.14)
Teen faces murder, attempted rape and robbery charges in killing in South Berkeley (11.14.14)
Berkeleyside blotter: Crime in Berkeley, 10/30-11/5 (11.12.14)
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