Berkeleyside blotter: Crime in Berkeley, Jan. 15-21

Selected calls to the Berkeley Police, via CrimeMapping.com. Scroll down for detailed maps. Click the map above for the list. See the map key here.

This is an overview of recent crime in Berkeley, exclusively 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 Jan. 15-21, there were reports of seven robberies, 24 burglaries, 22 assaults or batteries, two weapon-involved calls and three sexual assaults, according to CrimeMapping.com. There were also 10 stolen vehicles, 13 disturbances and 25 auto break-ins or thefts from vehicles reported. Significant incidents from the University of California Police Department (UCPD) included two robberies, a burglary, a stolen vehicle and one call involving a weapon. These numbers are subject to change. Click the links above for the latest numbers.

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Thursday, Jan. 15

Two vehicles were stolen, at 6 a.m. at Center and Milvia streets, and at 7 p.m. in the 900 block of Euclid Avenue.

Two homes were burglarized, at 9:38 a.m. in the 2200 block of Ashby Avenue, and at 4 p.m. in the 3000 block of Hillegass Avenue.

Someone reportedly brandished a weapon at 12:21 p.m. at Delaware Street and San Pablo Avenue.

There was a disturbance at 7 p.m. in the 2300 block of Haste Street.

There was a misdemeanor sexual assault at 8:30 p.m. at Ellsworth Street and Bancroft Way.

UCPD received a report of a strong-arm robbery at 9:55 p.m. in the 900 block of Ohlone Avenue in Albany, at University Village. According to UCPD, two male students, ages 24 and 38, were walking when three people approached from behind and tried to pull their backpacks off them. One of the students was struck in the head. (He received minor injuries and was treated and released at the scene by Albany paramedics.) The robbers managed to get one of the backpacks, but dropped it and then ran away. Officers searched the area but could not find the suspects. One was described as a white man, 18 to 20 years old, with a thin build, about 5 feet 10 inches tall, with brown hair and wearing a brown hooded sweatshirt. Another appeared to be the same race, age and build, but had blond hair and was wearing a hooded sweatshirt. No description was available for the third suspect. Police ask anyone with information to call UCPD at 510-642-6760. (This item first appeared in our last crime blotter post for timeliness.)

There were 24 burglaries (shown in black) reported over this period, via CrimeMapping.com. The prior week there were 25. There were also seven robberies (in blue), following six the prior week. Click the map for a list of both.

Friday, Jan. 16

There were two home burglaries, at 5:02 a.m. in the 2600 block of Telegraph Avenue, and at 1 p.m. in the 2800 block of Channing Way.

There was an arson call at 6:46 a.m. in the 400 block of Somerset Place.

UCPD received a report at 8:14 a.m. of a white UC Berkeley 2007 Ford E-250 that was stolen from the UnderHill garage at Channing Way and College Avenue sometime between Thursday at 4 p.m. and Friday at 8 a.m.

A thief stole a blue Burley Spider recumbent bike, which had been U-locked to the rack the prior day at 6:30 p.m., sometime before noon Friday from the Ashby BART station.

There was a misdemeanor sexual assault at 12:30 p.m. at Shattuck Avenue and Center Street.

Two vehicles were stolen, at 7 p.m. in the 2500 block of Ashby Avenue, and at 10 p.m. in the 1700 block of Ward Street.

There was a disturbance at 11 p.m. in the 1100 block of Spruce Street.

Saturday, Jan. 17

Two vehicles were stolen, at midnight in the 2100 block of Parker Street, and at 12:15 p.m. in the 2100 block of Martin Luther King Jr. Way.

Police handled a call involving a gun or other weapon at 12:33 a.m. in the 1100 block of Francisco Street.

There was a felony sexual assault at 5 a.m. in the 2700 block of Durant Avenue.

There was a disturbance at 10:15 a.m. in the 900 block of Addison Street.

There were four home burglaries: at 2 p.m. in the 2200 block of Curtis Street; at 3 p.m. in the 2000 block of Prince Street; at 5 p.m. in the 900 block of Page Street; and at 10:30 p.m. in the 2400 block of Blake Street.

There was a robbery at 8:35 p.m. in the 2100 block of Browning Street.

UCPD received a report of an attempted strong-arm robbery at 8:54 p.m. on University Drive between the West Circle  and the West Crescent. A 22-year-old student was driving her car  around the West Circle waiting for a friend when two young men began to harass her. She called UCPD to  report the incident. As UCPD was responding, the woman’s friend, a 22-year-old student, arrived. She told him about the problem, and he started to follow the young men, who met up  with a third person (no description provided). The trio turned around and began to chase the man, according to UCPD. They caught up to him and punched him, causing minor injuries, and one of them tried to take the man’s phone. Police arrived and arrested two of the young men, ages 15 and 17. Their names were not released because they are minors. Police ask anyone with information about the incident to call the UCPD Criminal Investigation Bureau at 510-642-0472 or 510-642-6760.

Shown above: assaults or batteries, weapon calls, sexual assaults, arsons and disturbances. Click the image for a list. Source: Crimemapping.com

Sunday, Jan. 18

Police handled a “second-response” call at 12:15 a.m. in the 2300 block of Fulton Street.

There were two felony assaults or batteries, at 1:46 a.m. at Telegraph Avenue and Channing Way, and at 9:41 p.m. in the 2100 block of Shattuck.

There were four home burglaries: at 2:30 a.m. in the 2000 block of Channing; at 3 a.m. in the 2400 block of Ellsworth Street; at noon at an unlisted location; and at 4 p.m. in the 1900 block of Los Angeles Avenue.

There was an arson call at 3 a.m. in the 1600 block of Russell Street.

There were three disturbance calls: at 3 p.m. in the 3100 block of Mabel Street; at 4:02 p.m. in the 1200 block of Ashby Avenue; and at 9:15 p.m. in the 1300 block of Gilman Street.

There was a robbery at 3:20 p.m. at Channing and Curtis Street.

A vehicle was stolen at 3:30 p.m. at Henry Street and Shattuck.

A thief stole a purple Mongoose men’s mountain bicycle, valued at $120, from the North Berkeley BART station between 1:15 p.m. and 6 p.m., according to the BART Police. Earlier that day, at 9:30 a.m., another person reported the theft of an $800 Giant-brand 21-speed bike between 5:50 p.m. Saturday and 9:30 a.m. Sunday.

There was a commercial burglary at 11 p.m. in the 3000 block of Telegraph Avenue.

Monday, Jan. 19

There was a disturbance at 11:30 a.m. in the 3200 block of College Avenue.

There was an arson call at 7:35 p.m. at Sacramento and Tyler streets.

A vehicle was stolen at 8:45 p.m. in the 2200 block of Jefferson Avenue.

There was a robbery at 9:45 p.m. at Dwight Way and West Street.

There were 25 thefts or burglaries from vehicles reported on CrimeMapping. There were 40 the prior week. There were also 10 vehicles stolen (in purple). Click the map for a list of incidents.

Tuesday, Jan. 20

There were two home burglaries, at 8:30 a.m. in the 2200 block of Prince, and at 11:04 a.m. in the 2500 block of McGee Avenue. Police arrested Kac Miller Jr. on suspicion of second-degree burglary in connection with the incident on McGee.

There were three disturbance calls: at 9:05 a.m. in the 2000 block of University Avenue; at 5:37 p.m. at Adeline and Emerson streets; and at 11:55 p.m. in the 2000 block of Kittredge Street.

There were two felony assaults or batteries, at 1:05 p.m. in the 1400 block of Shattuck, and at 5:30 p.m. in the 1700 block of Oregon Street.

A woman told the BART Police her $600 blue Kona 21-speed mountain bike had been stolen between 8:15 a.m. and 2:20 p.m. while locked at the bike racks at Ashby BART.

UCPD handled a burglary — resulting in the loss of property worth $1,400 — at 3:15 p.m. in the 300 block of Ohlone Avenue.

Two vehicles were stolen, at 4:30 p.m. in the 2800 block of Woolsey Street, and at 9:30 p.m. in the 1400 block of Campus Drive.

There were three commercial burglaries: at 6:30 p.m. in the 1600 block of Shattuck; at 9:30 p.m. in the 2800 block of Adeline Street; and at 10 p.m. in the 1700 block of University.

There were two robberies, at 8 p.m. in the 2300 block of Channing, and at 8:10 p.m. in the 2200 block of Haste Street.

UCPD received a report of a call involving a weapon at 9:26 p.m. in the UnderHill garage at Channing Way and College Avenue.

Just before 10 p.m., a man reported to the BART Police that another man — whom he knew — had slapped his face at the Ashby BART station. A third man intervened to stop the assailant, whom he previously had dated, and that man turned on him. Officers arrived and separated those involved in the disturbance. They told police they had been drinking together, then had gotten into an argument, which led to the assaults. A man was taken into custody and booked into the Glenn Dyer Detention Center on suspicion of battery and spousal battery, and was issued a stay-away order.

Wednesday, Jan. 21

There were two commercial burglaries, at 3:34 a.m. in the 1700 block of Shattuck, and at 5 a.m. in the 1600 block of University.

There were four home burglaries: at 10:30 a.m. in the 2900 block of Ashby Avenue; at noon in the 3200 block of Shattuck; and at 9 p.m. and 11 p.m. at unlisted locations.

There were two robberies, at 11:15 a.m. in the 1900 block of University, and at 6:35 p.m. in the 2300 block of Bancroft Way.

There were two disturbance calls, at 5:23 p.m. in the 2500 block of Telegraph Avenue, and at 5:30 p.m. in the 1200 block of University.

There was a felony assault or battery at 6:17 p.m. in the 2100 block of Shattuck.

Other recent incidents

AUTO BURGLARY ALERT Since Jan. 1, UCPD has seen a “substantial increase” in auto burglaries. In January, there were at least nine auto burglaries in various UC Berkeley parking lots and structures. Police said the incidents took place at LHS Terrace, CKC and Witter Field Lots, Fee Lot 3, Ellsworth Structure and Signpost 28: “In almost all of the incidents valuables were left in plain sight and the burglaries occurred due to a window smash.” UCPD began random patrol efforts to try to address the problem, as well as dedicated directed patrol operations.

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 in brief 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 in the days after this report. This post does not reflect every call. See recent Berkeley crime blotters here.

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Other recent incidents

Emilie Raguso