
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 April 16-22, there were reports of seven robberies, 16 burglaries, seven assaults or batteries, four weapon-involved calls and four sexual assaults, according to CrimeMapping.com. There were also eight stolen vehicles, eight disturbances and 39 auto break-ins or thefts from vehicles reported. Reported incidents from the University of California Police Department (UCPD) included one call involving a weapon. 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, April 16
There were two home burglaries, at 1:50 p.m. in the 1600 block of Martin Luther King Jr. Way, and at 9:30 p.m. in the 600 block of Spruce Street.
There was a robbery at 2:45 p.m. at Grant Street and Channing Way.
There was a report of an injury collision at Telegraph and Ashby avenues at 3:18 p.m. that possibly involved a semi-truck and pedestrian. According to the preliminary investigation, a driver in a Volvo station wagon heading north on Telegraph was turning right onto Ashby when he struck a female pedestrian. The pedestrian’s injuries were classified as serious, but she was expected to survive, said Berkeley Police spokeswoman Officer Jennifer Coats.
There was a misdemeanor sexual assault at 5 p.m. in the 2600 block of Shattuck Avenue.
A vehicle was stolen at 10 p.m. at Le Roy Avenue and Cedar Street.

Friday, April 17
There was a felony sexual assault at 12:30 a.m. in the 2500 block of Bancroft Way, and a misdemeanor sexual assault at 5:23 p.m. in the 1100 block of University Avenue.
A BART officer contacted a man for fare evasion at the downtown Berkeley BART station and discovered that he had a $30,000 warrant for theft. The male was cited for fare evasion and booked into the Berkeley City Jail for the warrant. His name was not released.
There were three disturbance calls: at 10:15 a.m. in the 1700 block of 62nd Street; at 2:20 p.m. at Hearst and San Pablo avenues; and at 8:18 p.m. at Milvia and Addison streets.
There was a home burglary at 8 p.m. in the 2200 block of Prince Street.
There were two robberies, at 8:30 p.m. in the 100 block of University Avenue, and at 9 p.m. at Parker and Dana streets.
A vehicle was stolen at 10:30 p.m. in the 600 block of San Miguel Avenue.
Saturday, April 18
There was a strong-arm robbery at 12:17 a.m. at Channing Way and Bowditch Street, according to a statement released by UCPD. A man was walking eastbound on Channing from Bowditch when someone grabbed his laptop from his hand, then ran toward a white sedan. The man tried to grab back his laptop, but failed. The suspect got into the sedan and fled southbound on Bowditch. Police were unable to track him down. He was described as a black man in his early 20s, 6 feet tall with a slim build and dark complexion, wearing a white hooded sweatshirt, hood up, and baggy blue jeans. The vehicle was described as a 4-door sedan, possibly a Mercedes. (This item first appeared in last week’s blotter for timeliness.)
There were three commercial burglaries: at 12:26 a.m. in the 900 block of Grayson Street; at 2:19 a.m. in the 2200 block of Fifth Street; and at 6 p.m. in the 1800 block of University Avenue.
UCPD arrested Quinton Cocklereese, 30, on suspicion of probation violation and possession of a dirk or dagger at 2:35 a.m. in the Unit 3 courtyard, in the 2400 block of Durant Avenue. He is no longer in custody, but is scheduled for a “stayaway control date” hearing April 20, 2016.
Police arrested Alfred James Wilson II, 21, in Richmond on a warrant for the use of a firearm during the commission of a felony. Wilson is no longer in custody, but he and one co-defendant, Jossue Nieto — who is also out of custody — appear to have been charged in connection with a robbery in Berkeley in 2014. They are scheduled for an attorney and plea hearing May 21.
A female pedestrian was taken to the hospital with minor injuries after being struck by a car at about 2:15 p.m. One passer-by, who asked Berkeleyside to find out about the incident, said he saw “Lots of police, ambulance & streets blocked.” Berkeley Police spokeswoman Officer Jennifer Coats said the driver had been westbound on Ashby Avenue waiting to turn left onto San Pablo Avenue. “The driver started to make her turn, and did not see the pedestrian crossing in the crosswalk” walking eastbound. Coats said the driver, a 40-year-old Oakland woman, could not stop in time, and struck the pedestrian, a 20-year-old Berkeley woman. (This item first appeared in last week’s blotter for timeliness.)
There were a home burglary at 7 p.m. in the 3200 block of Sacramento Street.
There was a felony assault and battery at 7 p.m. in the 800 block of Bolivar Drive.

Sunday, April 19
There were two home burglaries, at 10:45 a.m. in the 2000 block of Hearst Avenue, and at 12:20 p.m. in the 1300 block of Tomlee Drive.
A driver told the BART Police that his or her 2013 Ford F150, initially parked the prior day at 9 a.m. at the Ashby BART station, had been ransacked after its rear window was smashed sometime before 11 a.m. Loose change and blank checks were taken. An officer processed the vehicle and was able to recover a latent fingerprint, according to the BART Police.
There was an arson call at 6 p.m. in the 2600 block of Grant Street.
A vehicle was stolen at 7 p.m. in the 1800 block of Francisco Street.
Monday, April 20
Police handled a call involving the brandishing of a weapon at 5:55 a.m. in the 2600 block of Shattuck Avenue.
There was a robbery at 7 a.m. in the 2200 block of Shattuck Avenue. Police arrested Jessie McAllister, 21, on suspicion of robbery, battery with serious bodily injury and criminal threats. He remains in custody with a bail of $175,000 and is scheduled for a preliminary hearing May 6. McAllister was arrested in February 2014 in connection with a Berkeley robbery and beating that sent a woman to the hospital, and on suspicion of burglary last July.
There was a home burglary at 3 p.m. in the 2900 block of Linden Avenue.
There was a felony sexual assault at 5 p.m. in the 2300 block of Telegraph Avenue.
There were three vehicles stolen: at 6 p.m. in the 600 block of Creston Road; at 6 p.m. in the 1900 block of Bonita Avenue; and at 10 p.m. in the 1200 block of Dwight Way.

Tuesday, April 21
There were two home burglaries, at 2:30 a.m. in the 2400 block of Piedmont Avenue, and at 8:10 a.m. in the 900 block of Bancroft Way.
There was a commercial burglary at 2:46 a.m. in the 2100 block of Shattuck Avenue.
There were four disturbance calls: at 3:55 a.m. in the 1900 block of Shattuck; at 9 a.m. in the 1600 block of Shattuck; at 2:34 p.m. in the 2500 block of Hillegass Avenue; and at 6:30 p.m. in the 2100 block of Shattuck.
Police handled a call involving the brandishing of a weapon at 5:49 p.m. at Durant Avenue and Dana Street, and a call involving a gun or other weapon at 10:01 p.m. at Dwight Way and Fourth Street. Police arrested John Pichotto, 62, in connection with the Dwight and Fourth incident, on suspicion of being a felon in possession of a firearm. He remains in custody at Santa Rita Jail with a bail of $170,000, and is scheduled for a pre-trial hearing May 5.
Two vehicles were stolen, at 6 p.m. in the 1300 block of Campus Drive, and at 10 p.m. in the 1100 block of Glen Avenue.
There was an armed robbery at 8:40 p.m. at Arch and Virginia streets. Berkeley police arrested two men after they chased them by car through several different parts of Berkeley. The high-speed chase ended in Emeryville, near Powell Street Plaza, where the men were eventually apprehended, according to Officer Jennifer Coats, spokeswoman for the Berkeley Police Department. According to the Alameda County sheriff’s department, Billy Foreman, 19, and Otis Patterson, 19, remain in custody at Santa Rita Jail. Both are scheduled to appear in court May 12. Foreman is being held with a bail of $190,000 and Patterson with a bail of $375,000. Read more on Berkeleyside.
Wednesday, April 22
There was a disturbance at 8:04 a.m. in the 2200 block of Shattuck.
There were two home burglaries, at 8:15 a.m. in the 1300 block of Northside Avenue, and at 9:25 a.m. in the 2300 block of McGee Avenue.
Police handled a call involving a gun or other weapon, at 7:56 p.m. in the 2100 block of Ninth Street.
There was a commercial burglary at 9 p.m. in the 2700 block of Eighth Street.
There was a robbery at 11:05 p.m. at Adeline and Russell 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.
Related:
5 charged after Telegraph Avenue fight leaves 3 victims (05.01.15)
Police arrest 3, with replica gun, tied to BHS fight (04.29.15)
Principal restricts access to Berkeley High because of reports that a fight might break out (04.29.15)
Berkeleyside blotter: Crime in Berkeley, April 9-15 (04.24.15)
Pedestrian seriously injured after Berkeley crash (04.16.15)
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