An off-duty Berkeley police officer witnessed part of a robbery Tuesday night and three people ended up in custody, authorities report.
Berkeley Police Sgt. Sean Ross said a woman was knocked down just before 8:20 p.m. and “robbed of her purse” near Milvia and Russell streets in South Berkeley.
The off-duty officer called dispatch to report the robbery, then followed the suspects as they drove away.
Ross said the vehicle stopped in front of Berkeley Bowl and three people got out and walked away.
All three were detained by police near Shattuck Avenue and Russell. The driver left the area and has not been located.
According to unconfirmed scanner reports, it was a strong-arm robbery and at least one of the people who was taken into custody was a minor.
Berkeleyside broke the news of the incident on Twitter after a reader inquired about significant police activty. No account is needed to view those updates.
Berkeleyside will update this story as additional information becomes available.
