For the third time in less than a week, an unarmed man took money from a Berkeley bank during a robbery, authorities reported Monday evening.
Just after 4:20 p.m. Monday, officers responded to Wells Fargo bank at 1800 Solano Ave. (at Modoc Street) for a robbery report, said Officer Byron White, BPD spokesman, in response to a Berkeleyside inquiry.
The man entered the bank alone and demanded money, White said. He was described as a black man, 40-50 years old, 5’8″-5’9″ tall, wearing a gray shirt and blue sweatpants.
White said no one was injured and no weapons were seen during the incident.
On Wednesday last week, police responded to one bank robbery at the Solano Avenue Mechanics Bank, which is in the same block as Wells Fargo, followed several hours later by a robbery at the downtown Berkeley Wells Fargo at 2144 Shattuck Ave. (at Center Street).
White said police do not know whether the incidents are connected.
Berkeley has consistently averaged about a robbery a day in recent years. In 2018, the most recent data available, Berkeley had three reported bank robberies during the entire year. That year, about 67% of the robberies were pedestrian robberies, while 30% were commercial. There were also six carjackings and five home-invasion robberies. Of all the robberies, about 63% involved no weapon while about 19% involved a firearm.
So far this year, there have been at least 18 robberies in Berkeley through Jan. 23, according to CrimeMapping.com, a repository for basic police data.
The BPD robbery detail can be reached at 510-981-5742.
