Police arrested a 45-year-old man in People’s Park early Monday morning after he was linked to separate incidents involving two women on Durant Avenue near the UC Berkeley campus, authorities report.
The man has been identified by police as Jesus Dickey of Berkeley. He was arrested in connection with a 1:15 a.m. sexual battery report at student housing in the 2600 block of Durant Avenue, and an incident about two hours later in the 2500 block of Durant. Jail records list the second crime as false imprisonment with violence and burglary.
The University of California Police Department said, in a prepared statement, that Dickey had “struck up a conversation” with a female student at the Durant Food Court at 1:15 a.m., then followed her when she left, “continuing to talk to her.” When they got to Unit 1, at 2650 Durant Ave., Dickey asked the student for a hug, said UCPD. She declined. The man followed her to Freeborn Hall, grabbed her buttock, then followed her inside. A security monitor at the building entrance told Dickey to leave, and called police, UCPD said in a Nixle alert Monday afternoon.
In the next incident, at about 3:10 a.m., Dickey tried to choke a woman as she pushed open the door to a residential building in the 2500 block of Durant, police said. The Berkeley Police Department responded to that call. BPD Lt. Kevin Schofield said Dickey told the woman not to yell as he tried to choke her. He used force to prevent her from breaking free, Schofield said, and pulled her down the hall into a stairwell. The man then stood over the woman, and tried to put his hand over her mouth to keep her from screaming. She was able to call 911 and Dickey fled, Schofield said.
While BPD officers were arriving to the 2500 block of Durant, it was announced over the police radio that UCPD had found Dickey in People’s Park and detained him. A UCPD officer who had viewed surveillance footage at Freeborn Hall had recognized Dickey, authorities said.
Authorities ultimately took Dickey to Berkeley Jail, where he remains in custody.
He is being held on $200,000 bail in connection with the arrests, according to jail records online. He is also facing a probation violation, UCPD said.
Dickey, who is unemployed according to jail logs, is set for arraignment Wednesday at the Wiley Manuel Courthouse in Oakland.
[This story was updated after publication with more detail from BPD and UCPD, as well as Dickey’s city of residence.]
