A Sack’s Coffee House customer leaped into action early Friday afternoon during a laptop snatch in Berkeley, and helped catch one culprit before police arrived, authorities report.
The customer was the friend of the person whose laptop was taken at about 1:40 p.m. Friday, said Sgt. Peter Hong of the Berkeley Police Department.
Police responded to Sack’s, at 2701 College Ave., after two people went inside and grabbed the laptop, Hong said. The Southside neighborhood coffee shop is popular with UC Berkeley students, whose haunts have been a frequent target in recent months for thieves looking to make off with laptop computers used by distracted customers.
Hong said one of the culprits snatched the laptop and was able to escape to a nearby getaway vehicle.
The other was detained by the friend of the victim, according to preliminary information. Officers are still on scene figuring out the details of the crime, Hong said.
The person who was arrested appears to be a juvenile, but detailed information was not immediately available.
Berkeleyside will update this story if additional information becomes available.
