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.
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. 22-28, there were reports of three robberies, 22 burglaries, 15 assaults or batteries, three weapon-involved calls and no sexual assaults, according to CrimeMapping.com. There were also eight stolen vehicles, 21 disturbances and 32 auto break-ins or thefts from vehicles reported. Significant incidents from the University of California Police Department (UCPD) included one burglary. These numbers are subject to change. Click the links above for the latest numbers.

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Thursday, Jan. 22

There were two disturbance calls, at 9:30 a.m. in the 2300 block of California Street, and at 11:55 a.m. in the 1700 block of San Pablo Avenue.

Two vehicles were stolen, at 11:45 a.m. in the 2400 block of Piedmont Avenue, and at noon in the 2200 block of Browning Street.

Police handled a call involving a gun at 2:05 p.m. in the 1400 block of Allston Way. Police arrested John Maciel Alvarez, 50, of Berkeley on suspicion of being a felon in possession of firearm, and possession of ammunition. He remains in custody at the Glenn Dyer Jail without bail, and is scheduled for a sentencing hearing March 5.

There was a robbery at 2:14 p.m. in the 2200 block of Shattuck Avenue.

There were two home burglaries, at 2:45 p.m. in the 1500 block of Portland Avenue, and at 10 p.m. in the 2300 block of College Avenue.

There were 22 burglaries (shown in black) reported over this period, via CrimeMapping.com. The prior week there were 24. There were also three robberies (in blue), following seven the prior week. Click the map for a list of both.
There were 22 burglaries (shown in black) reported over this period, via CrimeMapping.com. The prior week there were 24. There were also three robberies (in blue), following seven the prior week. Click the map for a list of both.

Friday, Jan. 23

Police handled four disturbance calls: at 5:56 a.m. in the 2600 block of Benvenue Avenue; at 9 a.m. in the 1500 block of Alcatraz Avenue; at noon in the 3300 block of King Street; and at 1:11 p.m. in the 2200 block of Milvia Street.

There were four home burglaries: at 8 a.m. in the 2700 block of San Pablo Avenue; at 11:53 a.m. in the 2500 block of Durant Avenue; at noon in the 1000 block of Keeler Avenue; and at 11 p.m. in the 800 block of Rosemont Avenue.

Police handled a call involving a gun or other weapon at 10:45 a.m. in the 1900 block of Allston Way.

There were two vehicles stolen, both at 5:30 p.m., in the 1400 block of Cornell Avenue and in the 2900 block of Lorina Street.

A woman told the BART Police her $500 black Felt F1X 18-speed bike was stolen from Ashby station between 7:25 a.m. and 6 p.m. The bike had been U-locked to the bike racks.

There was a commercial burglary at 7 p.m. in the 2800 block of Telegraph Avenue.

Police handled a second-response call at 11:44 p.m. in the 2800 block of Channing Way.

Saturday, Jan. 24

Police handled a disturbance call at midnight in the 2400 block of Acton Street.

There were six “second-response” calls: at 12:24 a.m. in the 2400 block of Piedmont Avenue; at 10:33 p.m. in the 2400 block of Prospect Street; at 11:04 p.m. in the 2700 block of Haste Street; at 11:08 p.m. in the 200 block of Panoramic Way; at 11:46 p.m. in the 2400 block of Ellsworth Street; and at 11:48 p.m. in the 2700 block of Channing Way.

There were three home burglaries: at 5 a.m. in the 3000 block of Deakin Street; at 5 a.m. in the 3000 block of San Pablo Avenue; and at 12:34 p.m. in the 3100 block of Harper Street.

There was a robbery at 8:14 a.m. in the 2900 block of San Pablo Avenue.

There were two vehicles stolen, at 10 a.m. in the 1600 block of Sacramento Street, and at 9 p.m. in the 2700 block of Haste Street.

There was a commercial burglary at 7:31 p.m. in the 900 block of Ashby Avenue.

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

Sunday, Jan. 25

A patron told the BART police at 12:11 a.m. about the theft of a gray Raleigh Detour 21-speed road bike from the North Berkeley BART station between 11 a.m. and midnight Saturday. An officer found the bike near the station about two hours later: “The U-lock was still in place, connecting the frame and wheel. It appeared the suspect cut the chain to remove the bike from the rack, but abandoned it when it could not be ridden.” Police returned the bike to the owner.

There were two “second-response” calls, at 12:19 a.m. in the 2500 block of Hillegass Avenue, and at 12:31 a.m. in the 2200 block of Parker Street.

There were three home burglaries: at 12:30 a.m. in the 1800 block of San Lorenzo Avenue; at 1:17 a.m. in the 100 block of Canyon Road; and at 8:30 a.m. in the 1400 block of University Avenue.

There was a call involving a gun at 1:45 a.m. at University and Fifth Street. Police arrested Bobby McWoodson on suspicion of several firearm-related offenses, and possession for sale of marijuana. He remains in custody but the only violation now listed online by the Alameda County sheriff’s department is possession for sale of marijuana. He remains at Santa Rita Jail with a bail of $160,000 in connection with an Oakland case.

There was a robbery at 3:50 a.m. in the 200 block of University.

There was a commercial burglary at 6 a.m. in the 1500 block of Solano Avenue.

From the BART Police: A woman flagged down a BART officer at about 1 p.m. (no location listed) after two males grabbed her cellphone from her back pocket, then fled on bikes. BART officers detained one of the males, and the female confirmed that he had been one of the people responsible for taking her phone. BART turned the case over to the Berkeley Police Department. No further information was available.

A vehicle was stolen at 10 p.m. in the 1600 block of Allston Way.

Monday, Jan. 26

There were two home burglaries, at noon in the 2100 block of Eighth Street, and at 3:40 p.m. in the 800 block of Miramar Avenue.

There was a disturbance at 2 p.m. in the 1900 block of Sixth Street.

There were 32 thefts or burglaries from vehicles reported on CrimeMapping. There were 26 the prior week. There were also eight vehicles stolen (in purple). Click the map for a list of incidents.
There were 32 thefts or burglaries from vehicles reported on CrimeMapping. There were 26 the prior week. There were also eight vehicles stolen (in purple). Click the map for a list of incidents.

Tuesday, Jan. 27

A vehicle was stolen at 12:15 a.m. in the 1200 block of Haskell Street.

There were two home burglaries, at 8:03 a.m. in the 2900 block of California Street, and at 6 p.m. in the 1600 block of Francisco Street.

There was a disturbance at 10 a.m. in the 1600 block of Russell Street.

UCPD responded to a burglary in Tolman Hall, on the UC Berkeley campus, at 11:20 a.m.

There was a felony assault or battery at 1 p.m. in the 1500 block of Derby Street.

There was a commercial burglary at 6:30 p.m. in the 1200 block of 10th Street.

Wednesday, Jan. 28

There were two home burglaries, at 6 a.m. in the 2800 block of Mathews Street, and at 2:31 p.m. in the 1200 block of Channing Way.

There were three disturbance calls: at 11 a.m. in the 2100 block of Shattuck Avenue; at 2:40 p.m. in the 1700 block of Martin Luther King Jr. Way; and at 4:44 p.m. in the 1200 block of Allston Way.

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. 

Related:
Exclusive: 23-minute delay for paramedics during Berkeley protests, patient later died (02.05.15)
Breaking: Police respond to drive-by shooting in Berkeley (02.05.15)
Berkeleyside blotter: Crime in Berkeley, Jan. 15-21 (02.03.15)
Update: Man found dead in Berkeley was Gary Skupa, 70 (02.01.15)

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Emilie Raguso (former senior editor, news) joined Berkeleyside in 2012 and covered politics, public safety and development until her departure in 2022. In 2017, Emilie was named Journalist of the Year...