On Feb. 10, David Thornton was walking home from Ashby BART at around 11:30 p.m. after attending an event in San Francisco. Heading to his home, where he has lived for more than 10 years, he felt himself being followed. Thornton quickened his step, but then saw another man walking on the other side of the […]
Robberies
Posted inBusiness
Berkeley grocer vows to give back despite robbery
Jesus Mendez and Estevan Garcia look over produce at Mi Tierra. Photos: Frances Dinkelspiel. It was 10 am in the morning of February 17th and Jesus Mendez was just returning from the bank when he felt someone press the cold nub of a pistol into his back. “Give me the money,” a second man said […]
Posted inCrime
Crime in Berkeley was down in 2010
Scene of a shooting on Sacramento Street in 2010. Photo: Frances Dinkelspiel. What with the rash or armed robberies that occured last fall, including one that ended in the death of a 35-year-old man walking home on Adeline Street, one would have been forgiven for thinking that Berkeley was witnessing a surge in violent crime […]
Posted inCrime
Another armed robbery, this time on Grizzly Peak
The University of California Police Department reports that there was an armed robbery last night at the vista point at signpost 15 on Grizzly Peak. The victims, a man and a woman, were sitting in their parked car when four men exited a large pickup truck and approached their car. One suspect stood in back […]
Posted inCrime
Another spate of armed robberies in Berkeley
There were five gun-related robberies in Berkeley between Dec 27 and Jan 1. Photo: Tanya Miller. On Thursday Dec. 30, around 8:30 pm, two Berkeley teenagers were walking along The Alameda near Hopkins Street when two men stopped them to ask for directions. Suddenly, one of the men pulled out a gun and demanded that […]
Posted inCrime
Berkeley police make key robbery-related arrest
The Berkeley Police Department reports that it has made nine arrests of suspects citywide in recent days and one of the nine people arrested — who was involved in a robbery as recently as last week — has been charged with multiple counts of robbery and attempted robbery. “We do believe this person is connected to our North […]
Posted inCrime
A report on North Berkeley’s public safety meeting
Berkeleysider Melanie went to the neighborhood safety meeting on December 9 which was called by Councilmember Linda Maio — and which we flagged up in one of our recent stories about the current rash of armed robberies in the city. This is what she has to report: A couple of BPD’s finest were at the meeting, […]
Posted inCrime, Crime & Safety
Two robberies south of campus on December 8
The UC Police and the BPD report two robberies that took place this week, both on Wednesday December 8, on the south side near campus. One was a strong-arm robbery, the other an attempted robbery. At approximately 5:15 p.m. on Wednesday a woman was on Channing Way just east of Fulton Street when she was approached by […]
Posted inCrime, Crime & Safety
Armed robberies in Berkeley: The numbers
Following the rash of robberies in the city over the past few weeks, Berkeleyside asked the Berkeley Police Department to break out the statistics, to determine how many of them involved a gun. Sgt. Mary Kusmiss reports that four of the six robberies so far in December involved a gun. This contradicts the information supplied by the […]
Posted inCrime, Crime & Safety
Pre-dawn armed robbery committed at McDonald’s
An armed robbery occurred early this morning at the McDonald’s restaurant on San Pablo Avenue in West Berkeley. At around 5:15 a.m., a male suspect wearing a black ski mask pointed a gun at a male employee who was preparing for the opening of the restaurant. The suspect hit the employee in the head with […]
Posted inCrime, Crime & Safety
New armed robbery brings total to six in December
California Street at Virginia: scene of an armed robbery on December 6. A robbery which took place on California Street at Virginia at around 7.20pm on Monday December 6, brings the total number of armed robberies in the city to six in almost as many days this month. There were at least as many in November. […]
Posted inCrime, Crime & Safety
Armed robbery on Dwight at Fulton Sunday night
The UC Police reports there was an armed robbery at the intersection of Dwight Way and Fulton Street on Sunday, November 28 at approximately 9:00 p.m. The male victim stated that someone pressed something against his neck which he thought was a gun and demanded his property. The victim complied and the four male suspects were last […]
