This overview of recent crime in Berkeley is based on reports to the Berkeley Police unless otherwise noted. Share photos, videos and tips by emailing crime@berkeleyside.com or on Facebook and Twitter. Don’t assume someone else will alert us. We rely on readers to help us stay informed.
From April 7-13, there were reports of eight robberies, 10 burglaries, 20 assaults or batteries, no weapon-involved calls and no sexual assaults, according to CrimeMapping.com. There were also 12 stolen vehicles, 16 disturbances and 29 auto break-ins or thefts from vehicles reported. Two sex crimes were reported to the University of California Police Department (UCPD). Arrested or charged individuals in this blotter are presumed innocent. Find our April 7-13 round-up below.
Recent public safety news
2 BOTCHED CAR THEFT ATTEMPTS AT BART A thief tried to steal a maroon 1994 Toyota Corolla while it was parked at the North Berkeley BART station between 4:15 a.m. and 9:45 p.m. April 14. The driver’s door lock and ignition were damaged. The same day, someone tried to steal another 1994 Toyota Corolla from the station between 8 a.m. and 6:40 p.m. The ignition wires were cut and the ignition switch was damaged.
STOLEN CROSS Someone stole a 12-inch brass crucifix worth $40 from 2223 Fulton, room H, sometime between March 10 and April 15, UCPD reported. It’s under investigation.
DRONE DAMAGE A security officer at the Doe Library on the UC Berkeley campus reported “damage to roof tiles caused by a fly away drone” April 20 at 5 p.m. The drone owner is listed as a 22-year-old male student. It’s under investigation, UCPD reports.
COFFEE COMMOTION? A female student reported being the victim of “battery via coffee” at about 10 a.m. Thursday, April 21, at the Martin Luther King Jr. Student Union building on campus. A man in his 60s wearing brown clothing was reported to be the culprit. No further information was provided.
STEPPED UP TRAFFIC SAFETY ENFORCEMENT BPD plans to “step up pedestrian safety enforcement operations” Friday, April 29, with a focus on “pedestrian safety and collision causing factors involving motorists and pedestrians,” the department reported earlier this week. Police also said there will be more motorcycle officers on duty through June 31 “conducting enforcement and educational efforts based on data from prior collisions.”
Jaywalkers and distracted drivers may want to think again. According to the BPD statement: “Special attention will be directed toward drivers speeding, making illegal turns, failing to stop for signs and signals, failing to yield to pedestrians in cross walks or any other dangerous violation. Additionally, enforcement will be taken for observed violations when pedestrians cross the street illegally or fail to yield to drivers who have the right of way. Pedestrians should cross the street only in marked crosswalks or intersections and should not cross against the ‘Don’t Walk’ signs.” (Read more on the Nixle alert.)
The week in review: April 7-13
Thursday, April 7
There were three home burglaries: at 12:30 a.m. in the 500 block of Spruce Street; at 9:30 a.m. in the 400 block of Kentucky Avenue; and at 3:05 p.m. in the 1700 block of Russell Street.
Via the BART Police: A patron reported a burglarized vehicle in the Ashby BART parking lot. An officer found the vehicle, at about 10:15 a.m. The driver’s window had been smashed and the center console and glove compartment opened. The doors to the vehicle were still locked. The officer processed the vehicle for evidence and left a note for the owner to contact police.
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There was a felony assault or battery at 3:50 p.m. in the 1900 block of Shattuck Avenue.
Berkeley police and firefighters responded to an incident at about 4 p.m. at the McDonald’s in downtown Berkeley after someone jumped the counter and attacked several employees. There was also a report of an additional victim being attacked at a laundromat nearby. Read more on Berkeleyside.
There was a disturbance at 5:31 p.m. in the 2000 block of Oregon Street.
Two vehicles were stolen, at 6 p.m. in the 1900 block of Los Angeles Avenue, and at 7 p.m. in the 2200 block of San Pablo Avenue.
Police arrested Max Borgess, 25, on suspicion of grand theft and burglary, both felonies, at about 7:05 p.m. He is being held without bail at Santa Rita Jail and is scheduled for arraignment May 23 at the Rene C. Davidson Courthouse in Oakland.
There was a robbery at 11:07 p.m. in the 2900 block of Telegraph Avenue. (Authorities have said it was part of a series focused on Bay Area restaurants. Three people were arrested last week.)
Friday, April 8
A vehicle was stolen at 8:30 a.m. in the 2500 block of Ninth Street.
There were two home burglaries, at 9:30 a.m. in the 100 block of Hillcrest Road, and at 5 p.m. in the 2300 block of Prince Street.
There were two disturbance calls, at 3:15 p.m. in the 1900 block of Allston Way, and at 5:01 p.m. in the 2100 block of Martin Luther King Jr. Way.
There was a commercial burglary in 5:20 p.m. in the 800 block of Bancroft Way.
At about 6:40 p.m., a UC Berkeley staff member reported a possible sexual assault on campus that had occurred April 5 at 9 p.m. The case is under investigation, according to UCPD.
There was a robbery at 10:07 p.m. in the 1400 block of Hearst Avenue.
There was a second-response call at 11:43 p.m. in the 2400 block of Warring Street.
Saturday, April 9
At 1:22 a.m., an 18-year-old female student was taken by the Berkeley Fire Department to Alta Bates, from Unit 3 Norton, due to excessive alcohol, according to UCPD. The same type of call came in, same location, same age and gender victim, at 1:47 a.m.
There was a felony assault or battery at 1:59 a.m. in the 2400 block of Durant Avenue.
There were five disturbance calls: at 4:05 a.m. in the 3000 block of California Street; at 11:10 a.m. in the 1700 block of Lincoln Street; at 7:58 p.m. in the 1800 block of University Avenue; at 8:21 p.m. in the 2300 block of Grant Street; and at 11:54 p.m. in the 2800 block of Bancroft Way.
There was a robbery at 10:30 a.m. at West Frontage Road and University Avenue.
There were three vehicles stolen: at an unlisted location at 6 p.m.; at 6:45 p.m. in the 2300 block of Le Conte Avenue; and at 10 p.m. at Bancroft Way and Warring Street.
Sunday, April 10
A 16-year-old girl reported witnessing indecent exposure on the UC Berkeley campus at about 2:15 p.m. near Dwinelle Hall. The man was described as black, 30-40 years old, and 6 feet tall with a skinny build. He was wearing a Warriors hat, a dark top, dress pants and dress shoes. The case is under investigation.
There was a disturbance at 5 p.m. at Eighth and Carleton streets.
Monday, April 11
There was a home burglary at 6 a.m. in the 1000 block of Miller Avenue.
The Berkeley Fire Department took an 18-year-old male student from Unit-3 Ida Sproul to Alta Bates at 4:15 a.m. due to alcohol-related illness.
There were five disturbance calls: at 9 a.m. at Solano Avenue and The Alameda; at 11:05 a.m. in the 1100 block of Keith Avenue; at 12:35 p.m. at University and Curtis Street; at 5:30 p.m. in the 1600 block of Josephine Street; and at 7:33 p.m. at Shattuck Avenue and Center Street.
Two vehicles were stolen, at 10 a.m. in the 1200 block of Fifth Street, at 7:30 p.m. in the 1800 block of Prince Street.
UCPD responded to a report of a “suspicious drawing” in Barrows Hall at about 10:15 a.m. Authorities believe the drawing appeared sometime over the weekend. No further details were provided.
UCPD spoke with a 37-year-old man at about 1:30 p.m. regarding a “theft of electricity” at Minor Hall on April 4.
There were two robberies, at 4 p.m. in the 1300 block of Campus Drive, and at 10:15 p.m. in the 2100 block of Ward Street. (Authorities have said the second incident was part of a series focused on Bay Area restaurants. Three people were arrested last week.)
CAMPUS DRIVE Police have asked for the public’s help to find a man who grabbed the bag of a 70-year-old Berkeley woman and shoved her to the ground. The man had said “hi” to the woman as she passed him while she was taking a walk at about 4 p.m. in the 1300 block of Campus Drive, near Glendale Avenue. Read more, and see surveillance images, on Berkeleyside.
A thief stole about $200 worth of first-class postage stamps from the Doe Library on the UC Berkeley campus, according to UCPD. The theft appears to have taken place over the weekend. The case is under investigation.
Tuesday, April 12
Just before 5 a.m., U.S. Post Office inspectors cleared the protester encampment on the steps and on the side of the downtown Berkeley Post Office. Protesters from First They Came for the Homeless and the Berkeley Post Office Defenders had occupied part of the property for over 17 months. Read more on Berkeleyside.
There was a home burglary at 7:58 a.m. in the 1900 block of Milvia Street.
There was a robbery at 8:51 a.m. in the 1500 block of University Avenue.
Three vehicles were stolen: at 10 a.m. in the 2500 block of Fulton Street; at noon in the 1800 block of Carleton Street; and at 9 p.m. in the 2300 block of Seventh Street.
There was a felony assault or battery at 2:23 p.m. at Shattuck Avenue and Center Street.
Two women, ages 20 and 21, were unpleasantly surprised at about 9 p.m. at Wheeler Hall by a man who exposed himself, according to UCPD. He was described as white, 40-50, with blond hair, wearing a dark blue windbreaker and stonewash jeans.
Wednesday, April 13
There was an arson call at 12:06 a.m. at Shattuck and Kittredge Street.
There were two robberies, at 12:30 a.m. in the 2200 block of Shattuck, and at 1:09 p.m. in the 1800 block of Fourth Street.
There was a disturbance at 7:55 a.m. in the 3000 block of Bateman Street.
A vehicle was stolen at 8 a.m. in the 1900 block of San Pablo Avenue.
There was a commercial burglary at 9 a.m. in the 1000 block of Cedar Street.
Via UCPD: Someone found ammunition and a magazine from some type of gun at Campus Shared Services, 1608 Fourth St., at about 10:40 a.m. It’s under investigation.
Police arrested Joseph Miyazaki, 45, on a burglary-related warrant at about 1 p.m. (No location information was available.) Miyazaki, a transient of Berkeley, remains in custody without bail at Santa Rita Jail and is scheduled for a sentencing hearing May 23.
There was a home burglary at 1:30 p.m. in the 2100 block of Carleton Street.
A light blue 1995 Toyota Corolla was stolen from the North Berkeley BART station between 3:30 p.m. and 9:20 p.m., according to the BART Police.
Berkeley public safety data resources
- The Berkeley Police Department incident log on CrimeMapping and CrimeView Community
- The UCPD crime log, also posted in brief on CrimeMapping, and UCPD crime alerts
- Local Crime News lists arrests of Berkeley residents (not by agency); BPD’s arrest log and booking log (new as of April 2016)
- Nixle public safety alerts, by email and text, from BPD and UCPD
- The Berkeley Police Department’s “calls for service” heat map
- See what the Berkeley Safe Neighborhoods Committee (BSNC) is up to
- Learn about what info BPD can release to the public
- Find your area coordinator to ask about neighborhood issues (but don’t forget to tip Berkeleyside, too!)
Please note: These items represent a sampling of calls; incidents that took place during a range of time are listed unless otherwise noted by the beginning of that time period. 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.
Related:
Police arrest 3 after armed, masked restaurant robbery series, 9 in Berkeley (04.28.16)
Sister of man charged with 2 murders takes the stand (04.26.16)
Fire in Berkeley apartment building displaces around 30 (04.26.16)
Berkeley killings get spotlight in death penalty case (04.25.16)
Boyfriend charged with attempted murder after double shooting in Berkeley (04.25.16)
3 teens arrested after Berkeley student fights downtown (04.22.16)
Crime in Berkeley: Rape on Grizzly Peak, high-speed chase, fake report of shooter, more (04.21.16)
Berkeley police make arrest in double shooting (04.20.16)
Berkeley police seek help identifying shooting suspect (04.19.16)
Man assaulted with metal bat in South Berkeley (04.17.16)
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