Berkeley police have arrested three men tied to two robbery cases at the Telegraph Avenue CVS, though a fourth man remains on the loose, authorities report.
Three of those men “were on a crime spree” Friday, police said, “robbing not only the CVS in Berkeley, but a nearby Safeway in Oakland as well.”
That incident, which began as shoplifting, happened Friday at 10 a.m. at the CVS location at 2655 Telegraph, said Lt. Andrew Rateaver. Store staff tried to stop the culprits, but they refused to cooperate and used force to flee, which kicked the case up to robbery status.
Rateaver said the robbers left in a red sedan, which officers soon spotted. As they watched, “the vehicle suddenly pulled over and let off two suspects who fled into the block in the 1300 block of University (Avenue),” before driving away. Interim Berkeley Police Chief Andy Greenwood happened to be in the area and saw the passengers flee the vehicle.
After a short pursuit, Officer Semir Muratovic spotted the car and stopped it, and arrested the driver without incident. Rateaver said police found what is believed to be stolen property inside the car.
Officers also set up a perimeter in the 1300 block of Berkeley Way — between Acton and Chestnut streets — a block north of University Avenue near the West Street pathway, to find the people who fled.
After a search of the block, police found one of the men hiding behind an apartment building. The other person has not been located.
Authorities identified the men who were arrested as David King, 58 — held on suspicion of robbery and conspiracy, on $200,500 bail — and Stephen Johnson, 55 — held on suspicion of those violations, as well as evading police. They were set to be arraigned Monday morning.
Nearly 21 hours later, Saturday shortly after noon, BPD got a report from the same CVS, Rateaver said, “stating that a male suspect had stolen alcohol” while carrying what looked to be a 3-foot 2-by-4 board over his shoulder.
“When confronted by a CVS employee the suspect threatened to hurt the employee if he didn’t leave him alone,” Rateaver said. The man then ran away.
A short time later, officers detained a person matching the description given by the CVS employees at Telegraph and Parker Street, about a block away. Authorities identified the man as Audrey Barlow, 33, and arrested him on suspicion of robbery and probation violation.
Barlow’s bail has been set at $100,000 and he is scheduled for arraignment at 9 a.m. Tuesday, according to online records from the Alameda County.