Police arrested three teenagers from Richmond after a robbery and assault in downtown Berkeley on Monday night.
According to police, a 21-year-old Berkeley man was walking near the downtown Berkeley BART station, at Shattuck Avenue and Center Street, at about 8:40 p.m. when three young men began to follow him.
The victim tried to run away but the robbers caught up with him and knocked him to the ground, said Berkeley Police spokeswoman Officer Jennifer Coats.
“The suspects then physically assaulted the victim, stealing his hat, phone and cash,” Coats said.
The suspects fled into the BART station, where officers located and detained them.
According to the BART Police, trains were held while the platform was searched. The BART Police reported that two males were detained on the platform, while another one “resisted arrest resulting in a use of force by a BART officer.”
During the detention, one of the young men physically resisted the officers and ignored their commands, Coats said. Police placed him in a WRAP restraint device “for his and the officer’s safety.”
The victim suffered minor, non-life-threatening injuries during the incident.
The three suspects, two of whom were 15 and one who was 16, were arrested on suspicion of robbery. Their names were not released because they are minors.
There have been 174 robberies in Berkeley over the past six months, according to CrimeMapping.com, which collects local police data. From March 13 to April 11 (30 days), there were 25 robberies. In the subsequent 30-day periods there were, respectively, reports of 30, 19, 33, 36 and 30 robberies reported to the Berkeley Police Department.
There have been six robberies in Berkeley so far this month, according to CrimeMapping.
Read more about robberies in Berkeley in past Berkeleyside coverage. Concerned about police activity in Berkeley? Email crime@berkeleyside.com to let us know so we can try to learn more. Photographs are always appreciated.
Related:
Pharmaca in North Berkeley held up at gunpoint (09.03.15)
Berkeley police defend tactics after laundromat robbery (08.03.15)
Robber with ‘silver teeth’ evades Berkeley police (07.27.15)
Berkeley police respond to bank robbery downtown (07.01.15)
Do you rely on Berkeleyside for local news? Support independent journalism by becoming a Berkeleyside member for $10 a month or even less, or by making a one-time donation.
