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 — 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 Aug. 6-12, there were reports of six robberies, 23 burglaries, 11 assaults or batteries, one weapon-involved call and one sexual assault, according to CrimeMapping.com. There were also 17 stolen vehicles, 10 disturbances and 35 auto break-ins or thefts from vehicles reported. A burglary, a sexual assault and two robberies were reported by the University of California Police Department (UCPD). 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, Aug. 6
From the BART Police: A man reported the theft of his black-and-gold Specialized Crossroads 24-speed bike, valued at $800, while it was secured to the south “free area” bike racks at the North Berkeley BART station with a Kryptonite lock. The theft took place between 11 a.m. Wednesday and 12:30 a.m. Thursday.
There were six home burglaries: at 12:01 a.m. in the 2400 block of Piedmont Avenue; at 4:30 a.m. in the 2200 block of Carleton Street; at 4 p.m. in the 2900 block of Dwight Way; at 5 p.m. in the 3200 block of Idaho Street; at 9 p.m. in the 1900 block of Haste Street; and at 11 p.m. in the 1600 block of Woolsey Street.
There were six vehicles stolen: at noon in the 2100 block of Curtis Street; at 4 p.m. in the 900 block of Addison Street; at 10 p.m. in the 1600 block of Fairview Street; at 10:15 p.m. in the 1100 block of Hillview Road; at 11 p.m. at Ninth Street and Bancroft Way; and at 11 p.m. in the 1900 block of San Pablo Avenue.
There were two felony assaults or batteries, at 6:45 p.m. in the 1500 block of Second St., and at 9 p.m. at Channing Way and Dana Street. Police arrested a 33-year-old man in connection with the incident on Second Street but he 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.
Friday, Aug. 7
From UCPD: At 12:30 a.m., an armed robbery occurred on Spieker Plaza, east of the Haas Pavilion. The victim, a 20-year-old male student, was contacted by two suspects. One displayed a silver handgun and took the victim’s cellphone and wallet. The suspects fled on foot. The student was not injured during the encounter. UCPD and Berkeley police searched the area but did not locate the suspects, who were described as black men around 20 years old. One was about 6 feet tall with a slim build and wearing dark clothing. The other, who had been armed with the gun, was about 5 feet 10 inches tall, wearing a dark green top and dark pants. Police ask anyone with information about the case to call UCPD at 510-642-6760.
There was a home burglary at 8:15 a.m. in the 1500 block of Tyler Street.
A thief stole a MacBook Pro computer valued at $1,200 from Evans Hall on the UC Berkeley campus, according to UCPD. The burglary took place between 9 p.m. Thursday and 9:30 a.m. Friday.
There were two robberies, at 3:30 p.m. in the 1600 block of Russell Street, and at 6:20 p.m. in the 800 block of Camelia Street.
There were three commercial burglaries: at 4 p.m. in the 1400 block of Shattuck Avenue; at 6 p.m. in the 1000 block of Ashby Avenue; and at 9:45 p.m. in the 1500 block of Hopkins Street.
There was a disturbance at 4:38 p.m. in the 800 block of Bolivar Drive.
A vehicle was stolen at 8 p.m. in the 1800 block of Hearst Avenue.
From the BART Police: A female victim on a Richmond-bound train at the Ashby BART station said a man groped her buttocks shortly after 11 p.m. He was described as Hispanic, in his 20s, 5 feet 4 inches tall, wearing a red shirt and carrying a gray hooded sweatshirt. An officer located a man matching that description on a nearby street and detained him. The victim identified the man and made a citizen’s arrest. He was issued a prohibition order and was booked at the Glenn Dyer Jail on suspicion of sexual battery. (BART PD does not include the names of arrested parties in its crime incident round-ups.)
Also from BART: A thief stole a silver-and-blue 8-speed road bicycle from the Ashby BART station between 7:15 a.m. and 11:30 p.m. The bike had been secured with a U-Lock.
Saturday, Aug. 8
There was a disturbance at 12:52 a.m. at Telegraph Avenue and Derby Street.
There were four commercial burglaries: at 2:30 a.m. in the 2200 block of San Pablo Avenue; at 4 a.m. in the 1800 block of Fourth Street; at 4:30 p.m. in the 2000 block of Dwight Way; and at 5 p.m. in the 600 block of Page Street.
There was a home burglary at 5:50 a.m. in the 2700 block of Russell.
There was a felony assault or battery at 3:07 p.m. in the 2300 block of San Pablo.
Three vehicles were stolen: at 3:30 p.m. in the 100 block of Seawall Drive; at 7:30 p.m. in the 1400 block of Eighth Street; and at 7:30 p.m. in the 2200 block of Blake Street.
A BART patron reported that his or her green 1999 Toyota Tacoma pickup was burglarized while parked in the north lot at the North Berkeley BART station, according to the BART Police. Someone smashed the rear window to gain entry sometime before about 10:45 p.m., and stole the in-dash stereo unit.
Sunday, Aug. 9
Two vehicles were stolen, at 12:01 a.m. in the 100 block of Hillcrest Road, and at 2 p.m. at Virginia and Eighth streets.
There were two robberies, at 5:36 a.m. in the 2100 block of Kittredge Street, and at 2:55 p.m. in the 2000 block of Virginia. Police arrested two men in connection with the Kittredge Street incident: 26-year-old Eddie Collins and 20-year-old Dalevay Haskell, on suspicion of robbery and several other violations. According to online records from the sheriff’s department, both remain in custody at Santa Rita Jail and are scheduled to be sentenced Sept. 22.
There were three disturbances: at 7:15 a.m. in the 600 block of Cedar Street; at 9:53 a.m. in the 2400 block of McKinley Avenue; and at 1 p.m. in the 2100 block of Kittredge.
There were two home burglaries, at 4 p.m. in the 2800 block of College Avenue, and at 4:50 p.m. at an unlisted location.
There were two commercial burglaries, at 6 p.m. in the 1700 block of Solano Avenue, and at 7 p.m. in the same block.
At 11:52 p.m., UCPD received a report of an attempted armed robbery that had just occurred on the Grinnell Pathway north of Alumni House. The victim, a 21-year-old male student, noticed two men standing on the Octagon Bridge. After walking past them, the student felt something hard pressed against the back of his head. He turned, and one of the men was pointing a gun at him. The student began to yell and the men fled westbound on the Grinnell Pathway. UCPD searched the area but did not find the suspects, who were described as two black males. One appeared 18 to 20 years old and was about 6 feet tall with a light-colored goatee, wearing a black hooded sweatshirt and dark blue jeans. The other man was in his 20s, about 6 feet tall, and was also wearing a black hooded sweatshirt and dark blue jeans.
Monday, Aug. 10
There was a home burglary at 1:14 a.m. in the 2300 block of Ward Street.
Two vehicles were stolen, at 9 a.m. in the 2900 block of San Pablo, and at 7:30 p.m. in the 2600 block of San Pablo.
Someone reportedly brandished a weapon at 10 a.m. in the 1800 block of Stuart Street.
At least 12 children and four adults were injured when a bus full of Berkeley summer campers rear-ended a Nissan van on westbound Interstate 80 on Monday at about 10 a.m., causing a “chain reaction collision,” the California Highway Patrol has reported. Read more on Berkeleyside.
There was a felony sexual assault at 10:50 a.m. in the 1900 block of University Avenue.
The U.S. Marshals Service arrested a man in South Berkeley on Monday afternoon on suspicion of homicide, authorities reported. There have been no further updates. Read more on Berkeleyside.
There was a commercial burglary at 5 p.m. in the 1600 block of University.
There was a robbery at 10 p.m. at University and Sacramento Street.
Tuesday, Aug. 11
There was a home burglary at 5 a.m. in the 1300 block of Hopkins.
Three vehicles were stolen: at 8 a.m. in the 2400 block of Dowling Place; at 5 p.m. in the 1300 block of 67th Street; and at 9 p.m. in the 1900 block of San Pablo.
There were three disturbances: at 11 a.m. in the 2800 block of Russell; at 11:55 a.m. in the 3200 block of California Street; and at 1:53 p.m. in the 2300 block of Carleton Street. Police arrested Kevin Gray in connection with the incident on California on suspicion of battery with serious bodily injury, parole violation and other violations. Gray, 41, remains in custody at Santa Rita Jail with a bail of $660,000, but is not eligible for bail because of the parole violation. He is scheduled for preliminary examination Aug. 28, according to the sheriff’s department.
A homeless woman police say punched a passer-by in the head without provocation, and injured an officer who tried to detain her, was arrested in Berkeley for at least the fourth time since March. Police said the assault took place at 4:35 p.m. at Milvia Street and Allston Way. Dawn Carraway, 25, remains in custody at Santa Rita Jail and is scheduled for a procedural hearing Sept. 10. Read more on Berkeleyside.
There was a robbery at 5:23 p.m. in the 1900 block of Allston.
Wednesday, Aug. 12
There were two disturbances, at 2:30 a.m. in the 2800 block of Forest Avenue, and at 9:54 a.m. in the 2600 block of Telegraph Avenue.
A 40-year-old homeless man stole money from the tip jar at Almare Gelato, at 2170 Shattuck Ave. According to Officer Jennifer Coats, Berkeley Police spokeswoman, the man entered the store and stole a dollar out of the tip jar and left. He returned a second time, “attempting to remove more money from the tip jar,” Coats said. The employee called BPD to report the incident. The suspect was detained and later arrested on suspicion of theft and a probation violation.
There was a home burglary at 10:30 a.m. in the 1600 block of Francisco Street.
Police arrested Michael Jones, 38, on suspicion of burglary and possession of a controlled substance at 11 p.m. in connection with a home burglary Aug. 2 at 12:40 p.m. in the 2100 block of Haste Street. He remains in custody at Santa Rita Jail with a bail of $55,000 and was scheduled for further pretrial Aug. 26, according to the sheriff’s department.
Other recent incidents
On Monday, Aug. 24, at approximately 12:15 a.m., the Berkeley Police Department received a report of a strong-arm robbery at the intersection of Durant Avenue and Fulton Street. A 53-year-old woman was walking in the area when a man approached her and “a struggle ensued for her purse,” according to a statement released by UCPD. The man managed to get the purse away from the woman. He was last seen getting into a truck that drove eastbound on Durant and turned south onto Ellsworth Street. Police searched the area but could not find the man, who was described as a black man in his 20s, 5 feet 9 inches tall, wearing a dark jacket and blue jeans.
From the BART Police: An officer responded to the North Berkeley station after a citizen reported seeing what appeared to be a live grenade in the Franklin Street satellite parking lot at about 6:15 p.m. Aug. 20. The officer checked the device and determined that it appeared to be a live explosive. With the help of Berkeley police officers, local residents were evacuated from the immediate neighborhood and a safety perimeter was established. The station was closed as a precaution, and the U.C. Berkeley Police Bomb Squad responded as well. Members of the bomb squad inspected the device and determined it was not an explosive: It was a toy. Shortly thereafter the station was reopened and residents were allowed to return home. Read more on Berkeleyside.
A man told the BART Police that his catalytic converter was taken from his 2003 Acura TL 4-door while parked at the North Berkeley Station, between noon and 7 p.m. Aug. 19.
BART officers received a report of a man exposing his genitals in the flea market at the Ashby BART station around 8 a.m. Aug. 16. An officer contacted a man matching the description provided. A witness identified the man as the responsible person and placed him under citizen’s arrest. The man was booked into Santa Rita Jail on suspicion of indecent exposure.
On Monday, Aug. 4, UCPD received a report of a sexual assault that had occurred on Saturday, Aug. 2. The victim came to Berkeley to visit an 18-year-old man she knew as a friend. According to UCPD, “That evening they went to a party at a local fraternity, then went to a party at a sorority, and then to the suspect’s residence in University housing. Twice during the evening the suspect, without consent, sexually assaulted the victim by digital penetration.” UCPD released information about the incident Tuesday, Aug. 25, and said the delay was “Due to investigative needs.” The UCPD Criminal Investigation Bureau is currently investigating this crime. Police did not report any arrests in connection with the investigation.
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:
Police arrest 1 after theft, chase for 2 suspects in West Berkeley (08.23.15)
Police make arrest after gunshots, disturbance on Carleton Street near San Pablo Avenue (08.22.15)
North Berkeley BART station closed due to grenade scare (08.21.15)
ICE frees Berkeley man facing deportation to China (08.18.15)
Berkeleyside blotter: Crime in Berkeley, 7/30-8/5 (08.18.15)
Authorities practice wildfire response in Berkeley Hills (08.17.15)
Crews extinguish 1-acre vegetation fire in Tilden Park (08.16.15)
Police respond to shooting near San Pablo Park (08.15.15)
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