Berkeleyside blotter: Crime in Berkeley, March 12-18

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 overview of recent crime in Berkeley is based on reports to the Berkeley Police unless otherwise noted. Please don’t hesitate to share photos, videos or tips, about breaking news or neighborhood safety issues, via email at crime@berkeleyside.com or on Facebook or Twitter; let us know if you prefer to be anonymous. Don’t assume someone else will alert us — we value your eyes and ears, and you may be the only one to get in touch. We very much want to know about issues of neighborhood concern.

From March 12-18, there were reports of five robberies, 25 burglaries, 11 assaults or batteries, six weapon-involved calls and one sexual assault, according to CrimeMapping.com. There were also nine stolen vehicles, 13 disturbances and 33 auto break-ins or thefts from vehicles reported. Significant incidents from the University of California Police Department (UCPD) included one assault and two robberies. These numbers are subject to change. Click the links for the latest numbers. The following items represent a sampling of calls, and times may be approximate.

Thursday, March 12

There was a misdemeanor sexual assault reported at 7:14 a.m. in the 1000 block of Keeler Avenue.

Police arrested Tiffieny Dean, 40, on a warrant related to a felony grand theft case from earlier this year. She is no longer in custody, but has been charged and is scheduled for a further pre-trial hearing April 9 at the Wiley W. Manuel Courthouse in downtown Oakland.

There were three home burglaries: at 7:45 a.m. in the 600 block of Addison Street; at 8:30 a.m. in the 2400 block of Grant Street; and at 9 a.m. in the 1300 block of Carleton Street.

There was a disturbance at 8:50 a.m. in the 1500 block of Alcatraz Avenue.

Police arrested Joseph Catania, 35, in San Francisco on a warrant related to a 2014 Berkeley case involving identity theft. He remains in custody at Santa Rita Jail, without bail, and is scheduled for a report and sentencing hearing April 22.

There was a robbery at 1:31 p.m. in the 2300 block of Shattuck Avenue.

Police handed two calls involving weapon brandishing — at 1:50 p.m. in the 1200 block of Talbot Avenue, and at 7:01 p.m. at Durant and Telegraph avenues — and a call involving a gun or other weapon, at 5:30 p.m. in the 1600 block of Russell Street. Police arrested Ronald Moredock, 42, in connection with the incident on Durant and Telegraph on suspicion of robbery. He remains in custody.

Regarding the incident on Russell, Berkeley Police spokeswoman Officer Jennifer Coats said officers responded to a call of a dispute involving two individuals, one who was armed with an assault pistol: “Officers responded but the suspects had fled. The ensuing investigation resulted in the issuance of search warrants for three apartments in the 1600 block of Russell Street.” The next night, March 13, around 7 p.m., the department’s Special Response Team served three search warrants, assisted by the Alameda Police Department, in connection with the investigation. Coats said one person was arrested, adding, “BPD Detectives continue to work on this ongoing case. We will not be releasing the name of the suspect arrested, or further details at this time. We believe a release at this time could hamper the ongoing investigation.”

[Update, April 13: Coats identified the man arrested in this incident as Anthony Durant, 24, of Berkeley. He was arrested on suspicion of carrying a concealed firearm, being prohibited from firearm possession due to a juvenile conviction, and probation violation. He is no longer in custody, according to online records maintained by the Alameda County sheriff’s department, but is set to return to court April 20. Durant was arrested in Berkeley last June after a shooting in the 1600 block of Russell Street that injured two people. According to court papers, he also was pulled over in Berkeley in December 2013 and was found with a loaded, concealed firearm later determined to have been stolen. He told police he had just picked up the gun at the corner store and planned to turn it in to authorities. Durant was convicted as a juvenile, in 2006, of robbery.]

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

Friday, March 13

Four vehicles were stolen: at 1:30 a.m. in the 1800 block of Eighth Street; at 7 p.m. in the 800 block of Euclid Avenue; at 9 p.m. in the 600 block of Northampton Avenue; and at 11:50 p.m. in the 2200 block of Curtis Street.

There were three home burglaries: at 9:30 a.m. in the 1400 block of Kains Street; at 11:20 a.m. in the 2000 block of Channing Way; and at 12:15 p.m. in the 2700 block of Mathews Street.

There were four disturbance calls: at 11:30 a.m. in the 1700 block of San Pablo Avenue; at 6:59 p.m. in the 1900 block of Sixth Street; at 9:59 p.m. in the 2100 block of Russell Street; and at 10:31 p.m. in the 1700 block of Addison Street.

There was a felony assault or battery at 4:30 p.m. in the 3100 block of California Street.

UCPD handled an assault at People’s Park at 8:54 p.m. A 63-year-old man was taken by ambulance to Alta Bates Hospital with great bodily injury. The following day, police arrested Jesse Quindt, 34, on suspicion of felony battery causing serious bodily injury in connection with the case. He was taken to Berkeley Jail, but is no longer in custody. He is scheduled for a further pre-trial hearing April 16 at the Wiley Manuel Courthouse.

Saturday, March 14

Police responded to the 900 block of Gilman Street at 1:15 a.m. and arrested two 20-year-olds and a 19-year-old on suspicion of felony battery causing serious bodily injury. They are no longer in custody but are scheduled for a pre-trial hearing April 22 at Wiley Manuel. (Update, April 25, 2018: Their names were removed from this story when Berkeleyside learned the charges were dismissed.)

Someone reportedly brandished a weapon at 11:48 a.m. in the 500 block of Arlington Avenue.

UCPD handled a robbery in the Underhill parking lot, at 2616 Haste St., at 3:27 p.m. Police arrested Bomani Parker, 47, in connection with the strong-arm robbery. He was taken to Santa Rita Jail, but is no longer in custody.

There were two felony assaults or batteries, at 3:29 p.m. at 62nd and King streets, and at 11:55 p.m. in the 2400 block of College Avenue. In the first incident, a male with a gunshot wound was taken to the hospital and Berkeley police said they were investigating the circumstances surrounding the violence. Read more on Berkeleyside.

There was a commercial burglary at 7 p.m. in the 1200 block of 10th Street.

There was a robbery at 7:12 p.m. in the 1800 block of Fourth Street.

There were 25 burglaries (shown in black) reported over this period, via CrimeMapping.com. The prior week there were 23. There were also five robberies (in blue), following four the prior week. Click the map for a list of both.

Sunday, March 15

There was a commercial burglary at 5:30 a.m. in the 3000 block of Telegraph Avenue.

There was a home burglary at 2 p.m. in the 600 block of Neilson Street. Police arrested Kenji Thompkins, 32, on suspicion of burglary and possession of stolen property. He remains in custody at Santa Rita Jail and is scheduled for preliminary examination April 2, as well as a parole revocation hearing.

There was a disturbance call at 8:37 p.m. in the 2100 block of Kittredge Street. Police arrested Maurice Stall, 45, on suspicion of misdemeanor indecent exposure and parole violation, a felony. He is no longer in custody.

Police handled a call involving a gun or other weapon at 10:54 p.m. at Haste Street and Shattuck Avenue. Police arrested Bruce Dorsey-Cooper, 19, and Xavier Williams, 27, on several drug and firearm possession violations. They are no longer in custody. Dorsey-Cooper was released on his on recognizance and is scheduled for further pre-trial April 8. Williams is set to return to court April 21 for a motion hearing.

Monday, March 16

UCPD handled a strong-arm robbery just after midnight in the Bowles Hall parking lot, on Gayley Road and Stadium Rim Way near the Greek Theatre. Two 18-year-old students were robbed of a backpack, an iPhone and a wallet containing $200. The case remains under investigation. According to a statement released by UCPD, the students had been “hanging out in the parking lot with a woman and male they had met the previous evening. All of a sudden the male suspect began going through one of the victim’s pockets demanding his property. The suspects also took the other victim’s cellphone. The two suspects then left the scene in a blue or black late model minivan.” UCPD searched the area but was unable to find the suspects or their vehicle. Police described the suspects as a Hispanic or white man in his early 30s, about 6 feet 1 inch tall and 200 pounds, wearing black pants with a white T-shirt and a dark beanie. The woman was white, 24-25 years old and had long blonde hair. She was about 5 feet 10 inches tall and 120 pounds, and was wearing blue jeans and a gray hooded sweatshirt with a San Francisco Giants logo on it. Police ask anyone with information about the case to call UCPD at 510-642-6760.

BART police responded to the Ashby station at about 12:05 a.m. and detained two men for reportedly fighting each other at the station. Both men “placed one another under citizen’s arrest for battery, and they were issued their individual citations for the crime.” One of the men, however, “was deemed to be too intoxicated to care for his own safety.” BART officers placed him under arrest, and he was booked into Santa Rita Jail.

There was a commercial burglary at 5 a.m. in the 1700 block of University Avenue.

The eastbound, right-hand bore of the Caldecott Tunnel was closed after a collision and subsequent vehicle fire at 6:45 a.m. Read more on Berkeleyside.

There were four home burglaries: at 7:45 a.m. in the 2000 block of Prince Street; at 8:30 a.m. in the 2300 block of Channing Way; at 8:30 a.m. in the 2600 block of San Pablo Avenue; and at 12:30 p.m. in the 2000 block of Woolsey Street. Police arrested Brandon Miller, 25, on suspicion of attempted burglary in connection with the incident on Channing. He is scheduled for a preliminary examination hearing April 2, and remains in custody at Santa Rita Jail.

The BART Police Department handled a battery that resulted in a psychiatric detention at the downtown Berkeley BART station. At 8:44 a.m., an officer responded to a report of a battery that occurred in the station: “It was reported that a female jumped on the back of a male subject and battered him. The attack was reportedly unprovoked. The officer, along with Berkeley Police officers, detained the subject (unidentified at this point) and had to use physical force to restrain her.” The woman was taken to Alta Bates under a psychiatric detention, and was slated to be booked, once cleared, on suspicion of battery on a transit passenger. The woman’s name was not initially released, but police later identified her as Dawn Carraway.

There were three disturbance calls: at 10 a.m. in the 1600 block of Julia Street; at 12:52 p.m. at Grant Street and Hearst Avenue; and at 8:55 p.m. in the 1400 block of Shattuck.

There was a robbery at 2:30 p.m. in the 100 block of Spinnaker Way.

There were two vehicles stolen, at 6 p.m. at Fulton and Stuart streets, and at 10 p.m. in the 2100 block of Emerson Street.

There were 33 thefts or burglaries from vehicles, via CrimeMapping. There were 30 the prior week. There were also nine vehicles stolen (in purple). Click the map for a list of incidents.

Tuesday, March 17

There were five home burglaries: at 2 a.m. in the 2500 block of Warring Street; at 4:30 a.m. in the 2900 block of Linden Street; at 5:45 a.m. in the 2900 block of Benvenue Avenue; at 6:08 a.m. in the 2900 block of Elmwood Court; and at 8 a.m. in the 2000 block of Prince.

Two vehicles were stolen, at 9:30 a.m. at Bowditch and Durant streets, and at 11 p.m. at Allston Way and Fourth Street.

There were two disturbance calls, at 9:45 a.m. at California and 62nd streets, and at 10:10 a.m. in the 2000 block of Woolsey Street.

There was a commercial burglary at 11:15 a.m. in the 2900 block of College Avenue.

Police responded to an injury collision near Rose and Henry streets around 4 p.m. According to witnesses, someone who appeared to be a pedestrian was lying in the street after the crash. The white-haired man appeared to have a leg injury and “A motorcyclist was tending to him.” Said one local resident: “A lot of emergency vehicles arrived, including police blocking surrounding intersections. Ambulance crew had his shirt and and his pant leg cut open.” The Berkeley Police Department had not responded to requests for information about the incident by publication time, other than to confirm that an injury collision had been reported. Update, April 3: Coats said the motorcyclist, a 48-year-old Berkeley man, was eastbound on Rose approaching Henry. A truck driven by a 33-year-old Hayward man was turning right on Rose from Henry. Said Coats, “Witnesses reported hearing the motorcycle gunning his engine” as he tried to go around the truck, “striking a traffic cone causing him to lose control.” The motorcyclist was taken to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. (This update appeared in our April 3 police blotter.)

There was a robbery at 4:25 p.m. at 10th Street and Dwight Way.

Wednesday, March 18

There were three home burglaries: at 8:30 a.m. in the 1700 block of Delaware Street; at 11 a.m. in the 1600 block of Grant; and at 2:30 p.m. in the 1200 block of Josephine Street.

The Albany Police Department responded to a crash on Solano Avenue that involved a Berkeley woman. The incident occurred around 8 a.m., according to Lt. John Geissberger of the Albany Police Department. He said a vehicle had been traveling west on Solano, approaching Peralta Avenue, when the driver struck an elderly woman. “The driver of the vehicle did not observe any pedestrians crossing the street in the marked crosswalk until seconds before entering the crosswalk. As the vehicle entered the crosswalk it struck the female pedestrian,” he said. A neighbor identified the woman as a 78-year-old Berkeley resident. The woman was transported to the hospital for treatment, and the driver remained on scene and cooperated with the investigation, Geissberger said.

Someone reportedly brandished a weapon at 12:30 p.m. in the 2400 block of Stuart Street.

As per UCPD: There was a robbery in People’s Park at 2 p.m. A 54-year-old woman was in the park when she was grabbed by the back of the neck and pushed to the ground by a man. A second man reached into the woman’s purse and took her belongings: “She began to protest and was verbally threatened by one of the suspects.” The woman suffered minor injuries and was treated at Alta Bates the following day, which is when she reported the robbery to police. The robbers were described as a 25-year-old black man, about 6 feet 2 inches tall and 180-200 pounds, with a mustache, and at red-headed white man in his 20s, 6 feet tall and 180 pounds.

There were two commercial burglaries, at 5 p.m. in the 1500 block of Shattuck, and at 11:30 p.m. in the 2100 block of Allston Way.

A woman told the BART Police someone grabbed her Apple iPhone 6 while they were on the platform at the downtown Berkeley BART station at about 5:29 p.m. The thief fled upstairs in an unknown direction. There were no injuries.

A vehicle was stolen at 9 p.m. in the 1100 block of Keeler Avenue.

There were two disturbance calls, at 9:28 p.m. in the 2400 block of Ashby Avenue, and at 11:30 p.m. in the 2900 block of Channing Way.

There was a robbery at 10:45 p.m. at Ellsworth and Carleton streets.

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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Emilie Raguso