Berkeleyside blotter: Crime in Berkeley, June 25 to July 1

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 share photos, videos and 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 and rely on our readers to help us stay informed.

From June 25 to July 1, there were reports of eight robberies, 14 burglaries, 21 assaults or batteries, one weapon-involved call and no sexual assaults, according to CrimeMapping.com. There were also 22 stolen vehicles, 10 disturbances and 24 auto break-ins or thefts from vehicles reported. Significant incidents reported by the University of California Police Department (UCPD) included a robbery, a burglary and the recovery of a stolen vehicle. 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; incidents that took place during a range of time are listed by the beginning of that time period.

Thursday, June 25

Police arrested a 47-year-old man on suspicion of robbery at 12:52 a.m. in connection with a robbery several hours earlier — Wednesday at 10:30 p.m. — in the 1500 block of Shattuck Avenue. The man is no longer in custody and charges do not appear to have been filed according to online records from the Alameda County sheriff’s department.

Five vehicles were stolen: at 4:30 a.m. in the 1000 block of Keeler Avenue; at 9 a.m. in the 1800 block of Second Street; at 2 p.m. in the 1100 block of Spruce Street; at 6 p.m. in the 2400 block of Ward Street; and at 9:45 p.m. in the 1400 block of Arch Street.

There were two disturbance calls, at 8:05 a.m. in the 2200 block of Channing Way, and at 4:22 p.m. in the 2300 block of Telegraph Avenue.

There was a home burglary at 10 a.m. in the 700 block of Cragmont Avenue.

UCPD arrested Andrew Martinezgil, 27, on suspicion of the strong-arm robbery of a cellphone at University Village in Albany at 10:22 a.m. He is no longer in custody, after posting a bond of $150,000, but is scheduled for a pretrial hearing Aug. 3, according to the Alameda County sheriff’s department.

UCPD responded to a burglary in Dwinelle Hall on the UC Berkeley campus at 10:40 a.m. Someone stole four MacBook Pro laptops worth $3,600, and an Apple iPad valued at $400.

There was a robbery at 5:53 p.m. at Channing and Atherton Street.

There was a commercial burglary at 11 p.m. in the 1000 block of Ashby Avenue.

There were 14 burglaries (shown in black) reported over this period, via CrimeMapping.com. The prior week there were 24. There were also eight robberies (in blue), following five the prior week. Click the map for a list.

Friday, June 26

Four vehicles were stolen: at midnight in the 1400 block of Cedar Street; at 8 a.m. at Addison Street and Shattuck Avenue; at 10:15 a.m. in the 400 block of Vassar Avenue; and at 7 p.m. in the 2800 block of Milvia Street.

There were two commercial burglaries, at 2:20 a.m. in the 2900 block of College Avenue, and at 3 p.m. in the 2700 block of Shattuck.

There was an attempted robbery and shooting at 5:20 a.m. in the 2000 block of Ashby Avenue, and a robbery at 11:45 a.m. in the 1800 block of Solano Avenue. The first incident took place near Ashby and Newbury Street, said Lt. Alyson Hart of the Berkeley Police Department. The victim was expected to survive. The last reported shooting in Berkeley took place in the same vicinity, near Ashby and Shattuck, on April 13.

There were three disturbance calls: at 7:31 a.m. in the 1700 block of Carleton Street; at 2:40 p.m. in the 1600 block of Shattuck; and at 9:35 p.m. in the 2600 block of Hillegass Avenue.

There was a home burglary at 10:30 a.m. in the 100 block of Fairlawn Drive.

A Lafayette man police say strangled a woman and hit her with a hammer, then tried to force her into prostitution, was charged with human trafficking after he was stopped by a Berkeley police officer. The officer stopped Michael Green, 41, as he drove through Berkeley in a black Mercedes in the area of San Pablo and University avenues, after he failed to obey a traffic signal at around 3:30 p.m., according to court papers. Green remains in custody and is scheduled for a sentencing hearing Aug. 11. Read more on Berkeleyside.

There was a felony assault at 11:20 p.m. in the 2000 block of Shattuck. Police arrested Suraj KC on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon. KC was released on a $30,000 bond and is scheduled for an attorney and plea hearing Thursday, according to online records from the Alameda County sheriff’s department.

A station agent at the downtown Berkeley BART station reported a man at 7:15 p.m. who threatened to return to the station with a gun because the agent “intervened in a verbal altercation between the man and a woman,” according to the BART Police. Further investigation revealed there was no threat, and no complaint was sought. Police issued the man a citation for unruly behavior after he was placed under citizen’s arrest by the agent.

Saturday, June 27

There was a felony assault at 7:50 a.m. in the 2100 block of Haste Street. Police arrested Lawrence Bustamante, 48, on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon other than a firearm, and criminal threats. He was released on his own recognizance and is scheduled for further pretrial July 22.

There was a home burglary at noon in the 1300 block of Channing Way.

Police arrested Carl Bolds, 25, and Jabarri Huntsberry, 29, on suspicion of attempted robbery after a misdemeanor assault at 2:28 p.m. in the 2800 block of Park Street. They have been charged in connection with the robbery attempt, and are set to appear in court Aug. 3 for a pretrial hearing. The men were released from custody after posting a $100,000 bond for bail. A 36-year-old man was also initially arrested in connection with the case but he does not appear to have been charged.

Two vehicles were stolen, at 3:30 p.m. in the 200 block of University Avenue, and at 10 p.m. in the 2500 block of Grant Street.

There was a commercial burglary at 5 p.m. in the 1300 block of Fourth Street.

There was a disturbance at 7:43 p.m. in the 2400 block of Shattuck.

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

Sunday, June 28

Police handled a call involving a gun at 1:51 a.m. at Telegraph Avenue and Oregon Street. Police arrested two men, ages 18 and 22, and a 19-year-old woman on suspicion of carrying a concealed firearm in a vehicle and other violations, but they are no longer in custody and charges do not appear to have been filed, according to online records from the Alameda County sheriff’s department.

There was a robbery at 7:48 a.m. in the 1400 block of Alcatraz Avenue.

There was a disturbance at 3:36 p.m. in the 1800 block of Rose Street. Police arrested Ashtiani Tolovee, 55, on suspicion of stalking, felony vandalism and other offenses. He was released from custody after posting a $210,000 bond, and is scheduled for a pretrial hearing Aug. 19. Tolovee was also arrested in March in downtown Berkeley on suspicion of making criminal threats.

A vehicle was stolen at 10 p.m. in the 1200 block of Dwight Way.

Monday, June 29

There was a commercial burglary at 3 a.m. in the 1700 block of Alcatraz.

Police arrested David Chung at 3:16 a.m. on suspicion of vehicle theft and related violations. He is no longer in custody, but is set for a scheduling hearing in Pleasanton at the Gale-Schenone Hall of Justice on July 27.

Four vehicles were stolen: at 4:30 a.m. in the 2300 block of Fifth Street; at 11 a.m. in the 1100 block of San Pablo Avenue; at 8:20 p.m. in the 2900 block of Domingo Avenue; and at 9 p.m. at Bancroft Way and West Street.

There were two felony assaults or batteries, at 7:15 a.m. in the 2600 block of Hillegass, and at 8:56 p.m. in the 1900 block of Russell Street.

There were two home burglaries, at 10 a.m. in the 1600 block of Acton Street, and at 10 p.m. in the 2900 block of Florence Street.

There were 24 thefts or burglaries from vehicles, via CrimeMapping. There were 36 the prior week. There were also 22 vehicles stolen (in purple). Click the map for a list of incidents.

Tuesday, June 30

There were two home burglaries, at 4:44 a.m. in the 2700 block of Benvenue Avenue, and at 9:30 a.m. in the 6600 block of Dover Street.

Four vehicles were stolen: at 7 a.m. in the 800 block of University Avenue; at 8:48 a.m. at University and Fifth Street; at 1:45 p.m. in the 400 block of Tunnel Road; and at 10:52 p.m. in the 2900 block of Hillegass.

There were two disturbance calls, at 2:45 p.m. in the 2600 block of Telegraph, and at 11:53 p.m. in the 2200 block of Bonar Street.

There were two robberies, at 3:30 p.m. in the 2000 block of Allston Way, and at 8:25 p.m. in the 1300 block of Virginia Street. In the second incident, police arrested an 18-year-old man after they said he was involved in the theft of a purse and backpack from a woman who stopped to tie her shoe. According to Officer Jennifer Coats, Berkeley Police spokeswoman, the victim had been walking when she stopped, set down her backpack and began to tie her shoe. Two people grabbed her purse and backpack, then ran away on foot. A witness tried to chase the thieves but lost them as they ran through the North Berkeley BART station, said Coats. Officers responded to the area and saw a possible suspect running into yards in the 1600 block of Short Street. Police arrested Kac Miller Jr., 18, of Oakland on suspicion of grand theft from a person and an outstanding warrant. The second suspect was not apprehended.

There was a commercial burglary at 5 p.m. in the 2400 block of Telegraph Avenue.

Wednesday, July 1

There were two robberies, at 3:20 a.m. at Alcatraz Avenue and Idaho Street, and at 10:07 a.m. in the 2300 block of Shattuck. In the second incident, a man who threatened to have had a gun robbed a downtown Berkeley bank. Read more on Berkeleyside.

There was a home burglary at 4:35 p.m. in the 1500 block of Dwight Way.

There was a disturbance at 4:45 p.m. at Harold Way and Allston Way.

Police responded to an injury collision in the 1200 block of Ashby Avenue involving two vehicles at 6:11 p.m. Police spokeswoman Coats said no further information was available.

Two vehicles were stolen, at 7 p.m. in the 2000 block of Ninth Street, and at 8 p.m. in the 1400 block of Stannage Avenue.

UCPD recovered a stolen 1987 Nissan pickup truck at 9:22 p.m. in the 600 block of West End Way in University Village in Albany. Officers arrested Aaron Johnson, 22, on suspicion of vehicle theft and possession of methamphetamine. He was taken to Berkeley Jail for booking. He has since been released on his own recognizance and scheduled to enter a plea July 20, according to the Alameda County sheriff’s department.

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