A man was stabbed with a kitchen-style knife during a robbery attempt in North Berkeley early Monday morning and police are asking for help to find the culprits.
The 23-year-old Berkeley man was walking home in the 1400 block of Berkeley Way, near Sacramento Street, at about 4:40 a.m. when four men demanded his property, BPD said Wednesday in a prepared statement: “The victim fought back and was able to retain his items, but in the fight he was stabbed with a knife.”
Police said the man was treated at the hospital but managed to avoid serious injury.
The group who confronted him was driving a dark-colored, possibly green or black, Toyota Camry sedan, BPD said.
The person with the knife was described as a Black male in a gray beanie-style cap, face mask and a blue and red football-style jersey, “similar to a New York Giants jersey.” Another male member of the group was described as Asian, around 6 feet 2 inches tall, and wore a gray tracksuit and face mask.
The other two assailants were described only as male, BPD said, and no age ranges were provided.
Police are now seeking home security footage captured around the time of the stabbing or tips from “anyone who may have seen a part of the incident, or saw the suspects before or after the attack.”
Police ask anyone with relevant information to call BPD’s robbery detail at 510-981-5724 or email negbert@cityofberkeley.info.
Berkeley has tended to average about one robbery a day in recent years, although this was down significantly last year amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. According to one BPD analysis, about 5% of the city’s robberies involved a knife, while more than 60% involved no weapon.
From January through June of this year, Berkeley had 148 robberies reported, which is also down from historic averages.
Featured photo: Emilie Raguso
