A man who injured another driver during a hit-and-run crash in a rental car while trying to evade Berkeley police was arrested Tuesday morning after officers found him hiding on a roof, authorities said. Berkeley Police spokeswoman Officer Jennifer Coats said police were called to the 2700 block of Ridge Road at 8:30 a.m. for a report of a […]
Jennifer Coats
Posted inCrime, Crime & Safety
1 man cut, 1 stabbed in 2 mysterious Berkeley assaults
Two men sought treatment at the hospital last Thursday night after receiving mysterious injuries in Berkeley. They had few details to share with authorities about how the injuries came about. In the first case, officers were dispatched to Herrick Hospital at about 9:40 p.m. for a report of a stabbing victim who had walked in […]
Posted inCrime, Crime & Safety
Teen surrenders after baseball bat attack, police standoff
A 17-year-old male with a baseball bat who authorities say attacked another male, causing potentially life-threatening injuries, then climbed on top of the Grove Park baseball field backstop, ultimately surrendered to officers who focused on talking him down Friday afternoon. At about 12:10 p.m., according to scanner traffic reviewed by Berkeleyside, police received a report of an assault […]
Posted inCrime & Safety, Schools
Update: Driver arrested, cyclist critical after crash
Update, Feb. 5, 9 a.m. Read Berkeleyside’s update on Meg Schwarzman, the cyclist who was struck. The Berkeley physician and mother is expected to survive, though the road to recovery looks to be long. Update, Feb. 3, 11 a.m. BPD says there have been no updates to report as far as the cyclist’s condition. Update, 10:15 p.m. Berkeley […]
Posted inCrime, Crime & Safety
Berkeley marijuana dispensary robbed at gunpoint
Police are looking for three masked robbers with a gun who tied up a security guard and took several trays of marijuana plants from a Berkeley medical cannabis dispensary over the weekend while the business was closed. The robbery took place Sunday just before 1:20 a.m., said Officer Jennifer Coats, Berkeley Police spokeswoman, when three people went […]
Posted inCrime, Crime & Safety
Gun violence makes for busy weekend for Berkeley police
Berkeley police handled two significant incidents over the weekend involving gunfire, one that sent a man to the hospital and another that led to the arrest of three 18-year-olds. Police have been unable to respond to a request for information about the incidents, so Berkeleyside reviewed scanner transmissions to learn, at least preliminarily, about what took place. […]
Posted inCrime, Crime & Safety
2 arrested after West Berkeley carjacking, robbery
Police arrested two men early Monday morning after they reportedly brandished knives and carjacked a motorist in Berkeley’s Aquatic Park. Berkeley Police spokeswoman Officer Jennifer Coats said authorities received a call at 3:10 a.m. Monday alerting them of the incident. The victim, a man from Hayward, “reported that two suspects brandished knives at him and demanded his […]
Posted inCrime, Crime & Safety
Berkeley police recover 3 loaded guns in car search
Three men entered “no contest” pleas last week and accepted six-month jail sentences after police recovered three loaded handguns hidden in their vehicle during a car search in Berkeley earlier this month. On Dec. 6, police stopped the men at about 6:30 p.m. as they were driving near Dwight Way and Acton Street, said Officer Jennifer Coats. […]
Posted inCrime, Crime & Safety
Homeless man arrested after Berkeley bank robbery
Berkeley police officers recovered the cash after arresting a homeless man they said was responsible for robbing a bank late Tuesday morning. According to police, Barrett Brown was not armed but instead used a note to demand money from a teller at the downtown Berkeley Union Bank located at 2333 Shattuck Ave., at Durant Avenue. Police described Brown, […]
Posted inCrime, Crime & Safety
Woman charged in Berkeley teen sex trafficking case
An Oakland woman is set to appear in court this week to face charges in a teen sex trafficking investigation that began at Berkeley High School. Trinice Suwanabart, 23, was arrested in November after police linked her to the case earlier this year. According to court papers, Berkeley High School Resource Officer Ethell Wilson began looking into the case […]
Posted inCrime & Safety
Car crash causes power outage in southwest Berkeley
A car crash downed power lines and caused outages to more than 1,000 people in southwest Berkeley on Thursday night, and police say it appears drugs or alcohol may have been a contributing factor. Reports began coming into Berkeleyside from readers on Twitter at about 8:40 p.m. Readers said the car crashed at Ward Street and San Pablo Avenue. […]
Posted inCrime
Homeless man arrested after daytime robbery, attempted rape of UC Berkeley student
Police arrested a 51-year-old homeless man after the robbery and attempted rape of a UC Berkeley student Monday, authorities said. The incident took place at 11:30 a.m., said Officer Jennifer Coats, Berkeley Police spokeswoman, when the female Cal student was walking near Arch and Virginia streets, not far from the northern border of campus. Coats said […]