Berkeleyside regularly reports on notable Berkeley crimes, which include incidents that involve violence or weapons, or that readers have asked about. In 2018, the Berkeley Police Department handled about 73,000 incidents and made more than 2,000 arrests. Every month, there are 200-300 Part 1 crimes in Berkeley. Most Part 1 crimes, which are the categories tracked by the FBI, are serious felonies. Arrestees are innocent until proven guilty. The following crimes were reported to the public by Berkeley police.SUSPECT ARRESTED AFTER A SERIES OF ATTACKS In three incidents on Aug. 14, a man attacked people in cafés in the downtown and south campus area, police report. At 11:44 a.m., a 20-year-old Tracy woman was seated inside Paris Baguette at 2150 Shattuck Ave. studying on her laptop when the suspect sat down at her table. When the man reached towards her cell phone that was table, the woman quickly collected her phone and laptop. The suspect then stood-up, cocked his arm back and punched the woman’s face. Then he punched the woman’s face again and ran off. At 1:19 p.m., a 36-year-old Oakland man was walking in the area of Center Street and Shattuck along with some coworkers when the suspect ran up behind the man and punched him in the ear. At 1:36 p.m., a 33-year-old woman was working inside Café Mezzo at 2422 Telegraph Ave. when the suspect came inside the store demanding water. After giving the suspect the water, the store clerk asked the suspect to leave and he refused. When the employee tried to use her phone to call the police, the suspect knocked the phone out of her hand. When the woman tried to pick up her phone, the suspect stomped on her hand. Before leaving the store, the suspect punched the woman.
Shortly thereafter, officers located the suspect on the corner of Telegraph Avenue and Dwight Way. After speaking with several witnesses, officers arrested Stanley McGraw Jr., 39, address unknown on suspicion of attempted robbery, assault with a deadly weapon, failure to register as a sex offender, violation of a court-ordered stay-away as well as an outstanding parole warrant.
ARMED ROBBERY On Aug. 6 at 11:50 pm, a 29-year-old Oakland woman was walking in the area of California Street and Alcatraz Avenue when two suspects approached her. One of the suspects pointed a handgun at the woman and then robbed her of her purse and jewelry. The suspects were last seen leaving the area in a dark-colored sedan. Witnesses described one of the suspects as a black male, in his mid-20’s, 5’9” tall, wearing a black hooded sweatshirt and dark jeans (armed with a handgun).
ARMED ROBBERY On Aug. 7 at 12:55 a.m., a 23-year-old Berkeley woman was walking on the 2300 block of Dwight Way when two suspects ran up behind her. According to police, one of the suspects grabbed her backpack and ripped it away from her shoulders while the other suspect reached in her pockets and took her cell phone. Holding a handgun, one of the suspects demanded the rest of her property. When the woman screamed for help, the suspects ran from the area. Witnesses described one of the suspects as a black male, in his 20’s, 5’8”, wearing a black sweatshirt and pants. Witnesses described the other suspect as a black male, in his 20’s, wearing a gray hooded top and armed with a handgun.
SHOOTING Last Friday at 10:45 p.m., after receiving multiple calls about gunfire in the area, officers responded to a shooting at 2500 block of Regent Street, the police report. When officers arrived, they found bullet casings in the roadway along with a vehicle that had several bullet holes in it. No injuries were reported in this incident.
SUSPECT FOUND WITH GUN AFTER DOMESTIC VIOLENCE INCIDENT Last Saturday at 10:06 a.m., officers responded to a business on the 2000 block of Parker Street after they received a report that a man was threatening his dating partner with a gun, according to police. After searching for the suspect, officers located the suspect nearby. When officers searched the suspect, they found a handgun in his waistband along with a large number of ecstasy pills. Julius Thomas Baham, 28, from Oakland, was arrested on suspicion of criminal threats, carrying a concealed firearm and possession of controlled substances for sale.
ARMED ROBBERY Two suspects robbed a 22-year-old Berkeley man who was walking in the area of Derby Street and Regent, at gunpoint, the police report. The incident occurred Thursday at 11:55 p.m. While one of the suspects grabbed the man from behind and covered his mouth, the other suspect pulled off the man’s backpack containing his laptop. The first suspect then punched the man’s face, knocking him to the ground, and pointed a handgun at him. The suspects took the man’s cell phone and ran away. Witnesses described one of the suspects as a black male, 18-22 years old, 5’10”, wearing a gray hooded top and armed with a handgun.
ASSAULT WITH A DEADLY WEAPON Thursday at 11:07 a.m., when the employee of a business on the 2400 block of Telegraph Avenue asked a man who was smoking out front to move along, the man refused. The employee took a photo of the man and returned inside the store. When the man attempted to follow the employee inside the store, the store’s security guard told the man he could not enter. Then, according to police, the man then grabbed a 7-foot wooden pole with a hook and attacked the security guard — bruising the guard’s hands, forearms and face. When the guard retreated back inside the store, the man ran away. Shortly thereafter, officers located the suspect, Andrew Richard Jeanpierre, 33, address unknown, a few blocks away, where he was arrested on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon and violation of probation. Inside the Berkeley Jail, the Jeanpierre allegedly injured a community service officer and a reserve officer by head-butting them. Due to this, Jeanpierre was also arrested on suspicion of battery on emergency personnel.
GUN FOUND DURING VEHICLE STOP On Aug. 10 at 12:33 a.m., an officer conducted a traffic enforcement stop on a vehicle in the area of Telegraph Avenue and Parker Street. When the officer contacted the driver, the officer spotted an open container of alcohol inside the vehicle. When the officer searched the vehicle, the officer found a loaded handgun in the passenger area. The officer consequently arrested the driver and passenger for carrying a loaded, concealed and unregistered firearm. Those arrested were Dalya Rachelle Jones, 32, of Berkeley and Zaire Marie Johnson, 34, of Oakland, according to police.
TWO MEN ARRESTED FOR GRAND THEFT After a series of recent thefts from North Face Outlet, a patrol officer parked outside of the store on the afternoon of Aug. 15. Shortly after 1 pm, the officer spotted a man running out of the store carrying a bunch of jackets (followed by a second suspect leaving in a different direction). Although the suspects tried to run away from the officers, police eventually arrested Dominic Carmel Bryant, 26, address unknown and Duane Vincent Walton, 52, address unknown, on suspicion of grand theft and resisting arrest, according to police.
LAPTOP THEFT On Aug. 16 at 9:29 p.m., a 21-year-old man and a 53-year-old man were seated (separately) in the outdoor patio of Café Strada (2300 College Ave.) using their laptops when two suspects entered the patio area. While one of the suspects grabbed one victim’s laptop, the other suspect grabbed the other victim’s laptop. Both suspects then ran to a silver vehicle that was waiting on Bancroft Way.
Suspect #1: Black male, 5’5” tall, skinny build, wearing a black hooded jacket and gray pants. Suspect #2: Black male, 20-25 years old, shorter than the suspect #1, with a thin build, short beard, wearing a gray hooded sweatshirt.
GUNFIRE ON THE 2500 BLOCK OF DURANT AVENUE On Aug. 18 at 1:40 a.m., an officer was in the area of the 2500 block of Durant Avenue when he heard gunfire coming from an off-street parking lot near Bowditch Street. When the officer entered the parking lot, he found seven intoxicated men in the parking lot along with several bullet casings on the ground. After detaining the seven men, officers located an abandoned handgun in the parking lot as well as damage to a nearby building from the gunfire. No injuries were reported in this incident.
ROBBERY On Aug. 18 at about 6 p.m., a 36-year-old Richmond man was returning to his vehicle parked in the area of Adeline Avenue and Essex Street. Just as the man was about to get inside his vehicle, a suspect approached him from behind and demanded his money. The suspect punched the man and held him against the vehicle while a second suspect searched through the vehicle for something to steal. When the suspect did not find anything to take from the vehicle, they searched the man’s pockets and took his cell phone and cash. Witnesses described both suspects as black men, 30-35 years old, 5’6” tall, with medium builds — one of the suspects wearing a black tank top and black pants.
PERSON INJURED FOUND ON CHANNING WAY On Aug. 20 at 1:56 a.m., officers were flagged-down about an injured man on the steps of 2425 Channing Way (at Telegraph). When officers located the man, they discovered him unconscious with injuries to his head. The man, 56, address unknown, was transported to a local hospital. By Wednesday, he was in stable condition and expected to be released. He is believed to have been beaten/struck in the head and neck with some sort of blunt object (pipe, stick, etc). No suspect has been found.
DO YOU KNOW WHO THIS SUSPECT IS?
Police are asking for help identifying a suspect in two auto burglaries that occurred on Aug. 12 between noon and 1:08 p.m. in the area of Telegraph Avenue and Bancroft Way. The suspect was last seen driving away in a white Toyota Solara with dealer license plates — westbound on Bancroft Way. In each of the auto burglaries, laptops and computer equipment were stolen. Police ask that if you have any information about these crimes, contact BPD’s Property Crimes Unit at 510-981-5737.
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