Berkeleyside blotter: Crime in Berkeley, Sept. 17-23

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 — 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 Sept. 17-23, there were reports of nine robberies, 17 burglaries, 18 assaults or batteries, one weapon-involved calls and four sexual assaults, according to CrimeMapping.com. There were also 17 stolen vehicles, 14 disturbances and 33 auto break-ins or thefts from vehicles reported. Two burglaries and a weapons call were reported by the University of California Police Department (UCPD). 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 unless otherwise noted by the beginning of that time period.

Thursday, Sept. 17

Eight vehicle were stolen: at 1 a.m. at College Avenue and Garber Street; at 7:20 a.m. at Eastshore and Cedar Street; at 10:30 a.m. in the 2400 block of Ridge Road; at 6 p.m. in the 1200 block of Hearst Avenue; at 7:30 p.m. in the 2000 block of Woolsey Street; at 8:30 p.m. in the 1600 block of Eighth Street; at 10 p.m. in the 1600 block of Curtis Street; and at 11:58 p.m. in the 1200 block of Hopkins Street.

There were two robberies, at 3:30 a.m. in the 100 block of University Avenue, and at 11:45 a.m. in the 2000 block of Berkeley Way.

There were two home burglaries, at 4 a.m. in the 2500 block of Regent Street, and at 1:53 p.m. in the 1600 block of Rose Street.

There was a disturbance at 6:20 a.m. in the 2700 block of Dwight Way.

There were two felony sexual assaults, at 7:50 a.m. in the 2400 block of Stuart Street, and at 9:15 a.m. in the 2000 block of Center Street.

UCPD confiscated a knife from a man at 2099 University shortly before 11 a.m.

There were 17 burglaries (shown in black) reported over this period, via CrimeMapping.com. The prior week there were 21. There were also nine robberies (in blue), following five the prior week. Click the map for a list.

Friday, Sept. 18

Three vehicles were stolen: at midnight in the 1600 block of Curtis Street; at 11 a.m. in the 1500 block of Harmon Street; and at 4 p.m. in the 2200 block of Blake Street.

Warrant service. Photo: Citizen reporter

The Oakland Police Department served a series of search warrants around 6:45 a.m. near the Berkeley border with Oakland, around 62nd and Idaho streets. Police said the warrants were related to a case involving gun violence in August. Officers used flash bang devices during the operation. According to a police statement, “Due to the amount of suspects involved and number of locations involved it is necessary for the Oakland Police Department to request assistance from our law enforcement partners to safely and quickly conduct these warrant services simultaneously.” Police apologized to neighbors for the inconvenience. Read more on Facebook, where Berkeleyside first reported the news.

There was a felony assault or battery at 8:32 a.m. at Adeline Street and Shattuck Avenue.

There were three robberies: at 8:40 a.m. in the 2400 block of Eighth; at 1:49 p.m. at Hearst and La Loma avenues; and at 11:28 p.m. at Gilman Street and Stannage Avenue.

According to a notice released by UCPD, Berkeley officers responded at 2:52 p.m. to a report of a strong arm robbery near Hearst and La Loma. A male had been walking “with cash in his hands, when a silver Cadillac stopped and the passenger stepped out and took the cash from the victim.” The passenger got back into the Cadillac, which drove away westbound. Officers searched the area but could not find the vehicle.

Berkeley schools, and the local school community, were on alert after reports of two separate attempted abductions as students made their way to classes at Willard Middle School on 2425 Stuart St. Read more on Berkeleyside.

A small fire at the UC Berkeley data center in Earl Warren Hall on Hearst Avenue knocked out the campus’ entire computer network beginning at 7 p.m. An overheated server apparently sparked the fire, which in turn triggered the center’s fire suppression system. The Berkeley Fire Department responded to the fire, evacuated the building and ensured that the fire was controlled. No injuries were reported. Read more on Berkeleyside.

There were two second-response calls, at 11:22 p.m. in the 2700 block of Channing Way, and at 11:46 p.m. in the 2100 block of Allston Way.

Saturday, Sept. 19

There were four second-response calls: at 12:21 a.m. in the 2100 block of Allston; at 1:15 a.m. in the 2200 block of Dwight Way; at 11:42 p.m. in the 2500 block of Fulton Street; and at 11:54 p.m. in the 2600 block of Regent Street.

There was a felony sexual assault at 4:39 a.m. in the 2400 block of Ashby Avenue.

The BART Police received multiple reports at about 3:40 p.m. about a woman who was starting fights at the Ashby flea market. Officers responded and located the woman, “who resisted being detained and ultimately had to be placed in a WRAP device, with the assistance of Berkeley PD officers.” According to police, the woman assaulted officers and later hospital staff at Alta Bates Hospital. She was issued a prohibition order to stay away from BART, and was booked at Santa Rita Jail on suspicion of battery on officers, resisting arrest and violation of probation. Online records from the Alameda County sheriff’s department identify the woman as 34-year-old Jennifer Davis. She remains in custody at Santa Rita Jail with a bail of $26,500 and was scheduled for further pretrial Tuesday, Oct. 6.

A vehicle was stolen at 8 p.m. in the 1100 block of Euclid Avenue.

Police arrested 23-year-old Brandon Richardson in connection with an arson case from Sept. 14 at 2:40 a.m. in the 1000 block of University Avenue. Richardson was charged with arson of an inhabited structure and unlawfully causing a fire that causes an inhabited structure to burn. He remains in custody at Santa Rita Jail with a bail of $30,000 and was scheduled for a hearing Tuesday, Oct. 6.

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

Sunday, Sept. 20

There was a disturbance at midnight in the 1300 block of Harmon.

There was a felony sexual assault at 12:01 a.m. in the 2100 block of Center.

There was a robbery at 12:30 a.m. at Eighth and Jones streets.

There were two second-response calls, at 12:36 a.m. in the 2500 block of Regent, and at 1:04 a.m. in the 2000 block of Channing Way.

Two vehicles were stolen, at 4 a.m. in the 3000 block of Harper Street, and at 2 p.m. in the 600 block of Creston Road.

There were two home burglaries, at 8:02 p.m. in the 2000 block of Haste Street, and at 11 p.m. in the 1900 block of Channing.

There was a commercial burglary at 10 p.m. in the 2500 block of Hearst Avenue. A Berkeleyside reader reported on Twitter that the burglary took place at Quickly. He said someone stole cash out of the register.

Monday, Sept. 21

Two vehicles were stolen, at 1 a.m. in the 1300 block of Berkeley Way, and at 8 p.m. at University Avenue and Marina Boulevard.

There were two home burglaries, at 2:15 a.m. in the 1500 block of La Vereda Road, and at 8 a.m. in the 1500 block of Keoncrest Drive. Police arrested Daniel Weaver, 46, of Berkeley in connection with the incident on La Vereda. He remains in custody with a bail of $50,000 and was scheduled for a pretrial hearing Tuesday, Oct. 6.

There was a commercial burglary at 3:16 a.m. in the 1000 block of Gilman Street.

There was a felony assault or battery at 4:38 a.m. in the 1200 block of Ashby Avenue. Authorities say a convicted felon kicked his way into a home in Berkeley, struck a woman in the chest and threatened to shoot a man inside, then fired a handgun into the air after leaving the apartment. Isaiah Gardea, 22, was arrested Sept. 21 at his Berkeley apartment on Burnett Street, and remains in custody at Santa Rita Jail with a bail of $680,000. Read more on Berkeleyside.

The Communications Center received a report of a bicycle accident in the 1200 block of Campus Drive at 6:39 a.m., said Acting Berkeley Fire Chief Avery Webb. He said an engine and an ambulance were dispatched, along with police, “because this incident was on the public roadway.” A woman suffered what appeared to be non-life-threatening injuries. She was treated and taken by ambulance to the hospital.

There was an arson call at 6:30 a.m. in the 1100 block of Fifth Street.

Police arrested a San Francisco woman later charged with felony identity theft after police say she stole the wallet of a passenger who fell asleep during an Uber ride to Berkeley, then used her credit cards at stores around the Bay Area. Read more on Berkeleyside.

There was a robbery at 11:18 a.m. in the 2100 block of Shattuck Avenue.

There was a disturbance at 3:58 p.m. at College and Ashby avenues.

According to UCPD someone forced his or her way into the football locker room at Memorial Stadium and stole $500. The burglary took place between 10:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.

There were 33 thefts or burglaries from vehicles, via CrimeMapping. There were 43 the prior week. There were also 17 vehicles stolen (in purple). Click the map for a list of incidents.

Tuesday, Sept. 22

Jayne Waller was charged with two felonies related to an attack with a hammer on a demonstrator taking part in a Black Lives Matter protest in downtown Berkeley in December. Read more on Berkeleyside.

There were four home burglaries: at midnight in the 1900 block of Grant Street; at 2:53 a.m. in the 2400 block of Prospect Street; at 8 a.m. in the 1300 block of 67th Street; and at 8:50 a.m. in the 1800 block of Capistrano Avenue. Police arrested 23-year-old Joshua Tuck, a transient out of Berkeley, in connection with the incident on Prospect Street on suspicion of felony burglary and other violations. Tuck remains in custody at Santa Rita Jail and is scheduled for preliminary examination Thursday, Oct. 8. He is being held on a bail of $95,000. According to Alameda County sheriff’s department records, Tuck was out on bail related to a different case when he was arrested in connection with the burglary.

There was call involving a gun at 2:45 p.m. in the 1500 block of Ashby. Police arrested 48-year-old Bobby Anderson on suspicion of possession of a firearm and ammunition, and a misdemeanor warrant for battery with serious bodily injury. Anderson remains in custody at Santa Rita Jail with a bail of $255,000 and was scheduled for a pretrial hearing Tuesday, Oct. 6.

There was a disturbance at 3 p.m. at Allston Way and Shattuck Avenue.

A thief stole two Apple computers, with a total value of $3,153, from two women at the Li Ka Shing Center on the UC Berkeley campus between 2:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. The suspects were described as a 26-year-old woman and a Hispanic man in his 20s wearing a white and black “trucker hat,” blue jacket and blue jeans. The man was carrying two backpacks, according to UCPD. The case is under investigation.

There were two robberies, at 4:40 p.m. in the 3000 block of Ellis Street, and at 4:20 p.m. at Shattuck and Allston.

There was a commercial burglary at 9:30 p.m. in the 3000 block of Claremont Avenue.

A BART Police officer contacted a woman at 10:50 p.m. who appeared to have been drinking and was sitting on the stairs that led to the train platform at the downtown Berkeley station. A records check on the woman revealed she had a no-bail warrant for a traffic offense issued by the Livermore Police Department. She was arrested on the warrant and taken to Berkeley Jail. The woman has already been sentenced in connection with a handful of misdemeanor crimes, and remains in custody at Santa Rita Jail, according to online records from the sheriff’s department. She is set for a sentencing hearing Oct. 26.

Wednesday, Sept. 23

A vehicle was stolen at 4 a.m. in the 1400 block of San Pablo Avenue.

There were two commercial burglaries, at 4:18 a.m. in the 2900 block of College Avenue, and at 8 p.m. in the 400 block of Shattuck Square.

There were two home burglaries, at 6:20 a.m. in the 1800 block of Virginia Street, and at noon in the 1300 block of Martin Luther King Jr. Way.

There were two disturbance calls, at 7:25 a.m. in the 1700 block of Shattuck, and at 6:30 p.m. in the 2200 block of Fulton Street.

A driver struck a pedestrian at about 6:20 p.m. on Center Street west of Shattuck, said Officer Jennifer Coats, Berkeley Police spokeswoman. Coats said the pedestrian stepped into the roadway, outside of a crosswalk, and was struck by the vehicle. The driver remained at the scene and was cooperative. It did not appear drugs or alcohol were a factor for either party. The pedestrian was taken by ambulance to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

There was an arson call at 9:27 p.m. in the 2100 block of Shattuck.

The University of California Police Department released a statement about a 28-year-old woman who was sexually assaulted by two men on campus Thursday, Sept. 24, at about 12:45 a.m. The woman met two men, one of whom she knew from a prior encounter, on Wednesday night just west of Oxford Street. They offered to walk her home. “Just after entering campus on Frank Schlessinger Way, the suspects forcibly sexually assaulted the victim,” police said, including two counts of rape, kidnapping, sodomy and attempted oral copulation. After the men left, the woman found police and reported the crime. One of the assailants was described as a Hispanic or white man, 23-29 years old, 5 feet 9 inches tall, with a medium build, dark eyes and collar-length curly brown hair, who was wearing a baseball cap, a yellow jacket or shirt, and red pants, and also had a skateboard. The other man was white, 5 feet 9 inches tall, in his 30s with a medium build, and wearing all black clothing with a backpack. Police ask anyone with information about the case to call UCPD at 510-642-6760.

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