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Crime Log: Robberies, Carjacking, Strange Noises and More

Police responded to reports of a person down and robberies. Click the "Keep me posted" button below this story for an email alert as soon as we post the crime log.

Below is a sampling of items from the Berkeley Police Department's crime blotter from August 12-18. The narratives have been written and selected by the Berkeley Police Department.

August 19

Trespassing, 2200 block of Carleton Street: On Sunday, August 19, 2012 at 10:52 a.m., a trespasser was reported in the 2200 block of Carleton Street.  An officer arrived at the location and located a male subject trespassing.  The subject was issued a citation for trespassing under the Berkeley Municipal Code.   

Robbery, 1800 Block of Solano Avenue: On Sunday, August 19, 2012 at approximately 6:00 p.m. a robbery was reported in the 1800 block of Solano Avenue.  A business reported the unknown suspect entered and took several bottles of alcohol.  The suspect left the business without paying for the items.  The suspect was confronted by a loss prevention officer outside of the business.  The suspect then used force against the officer, by trying to strike him.  The suspect fled the area taking the merchandise with him. Suspect - "Black male adult, 6'3" tall, 200 pounds, shaven head wearing a red T-shirt, tan cargo pants and carrying a turquoise backpack."

August 20

Loud Reports, 400 Block of Grizzly Peak Blvd: On Monday, August 20, 2012 at approximately 11:22 P.M., residents in the 400 block of Grizzly Peak Blvd reported hearing possible gunshots.  Neighboring agencies were also getting calls of loud reports.  Officers checked the area and were unable to locate the source.  No injuries or damage were reported to BPD.

Commercial Burglary, 3100 Block of Shattuck Avenue: On Monday, August 20, 2012 between 12:00 a.m. and 9:00 a.m. a burglary occurred in the 3100 block of Shattuck Avenue.  The unknown suspect appears to have made entry through a patio door to the business.  The suspect stole a television and cash from the business.   

August 21

Suspicious Noises, 2300 Block of College Avenue: On Tuesday, August 21, 2012 at approximately 9:39 p.m., officers responded to a resident complaint of strange noises in the 2300 block of College Avenue.  The resident reported possibly hearing the sounds of someone walking on the roof of a building currently under construction.  Officers arrived and the location and checked the roof.  The officers did not find anything unusual or find persons.

Robbery, Adeline Street and Russell Street: On Tuesday, August 21, 2012 at approximately 1:38 p.m., a robbery occurred in the area of Adeline Street and Russell Street.  The male victim was walking in the area when he was approached by two unknown suspects.  The victim was knocked to the ground by one of the suspects.  The suspects stole the victim's cell phone.  The suspects then fled the area.  The victim was not physically injured during the incident.

The suspects are described as:

Suspect 1 - "Black Male, 16-18 years old, 5'6" tall, thin wearing a black hooded sweatshirt, black jeans and a black Chicago Bulls snap-back hat."

Suspect 2 - "Black Male, 16-18 years old, 5'6" tall, athletic build wearing a black hooded sweatshirt and black jeans."

August 22

Suspicious Circumstances, 2000 Block of Kittredge St: On Wednesday, August 22, 2012 at approximately 3:45 a.m., officers responded to a report of glass being broken in 2000 block of Kittredge Street.  An officer arrived and checked the area.  The officer did not locate any damaged property or broken glass.   

Auto Burglary, 4th Street/Bancroft Way: On Wednesday, August 22, 2012 at approximately 11:02 a.m., an auto burglary occurred near the intersection of 4th Street and Bancroft Way.  The victim parked and locked his vehicle near the intersection.  As he started to walk away he heard the car alarm going off.  He turned to see the unknown suspect walking from his vehicle carrying several items.  The suspect got into a yellow corvette and drove off.  The victim discovered his car stereo and some clothing missing.

The suspect is described as:

Suspect – “Asian Male, 20-30 years old, goatee, receding hair line, 5’10” tall, 220 pounds wearing a black shirt and jeans.”

August 23

Berkeley Municipal Code Violation (BMC), Skate Park, Harrison Street: On Thursday, August 23, 2012 at 2:14 p.m., a city employee reported bicycle riders inside the skate park on Harrison Street.  Only skateboarders are permitted in the park.  An officer was dispatched to the location and contacted three riders. The riders were asked to leave the park.   

Vandalism, 2300 block of Howe Street: On Thursday, August 23, 2012 at 11:15 p.m. a report of vandalism occurred in the 2300 block of Howe Street.  The victim reported hearing a loud crash from in front of his resident.  When he went to investigate he discovered that an unknown suspect damaged the several fence panels. 

August 24

Loud Reports, 2200 block of Curtis Street: On Friday, August 24, 2012 at approximately 11:30 p.m., a resident in the 2200 block of Curtis Street reported hearing a loud report.  Officers responded to the location.  After speaking with people in the area, officers determined it was fireworks. 

Carjacking, 2500 Block of Benvenue Avenue: On Friday, August 24, 2012 at approximately 7:55 p.m., a carjacking occurred in 2500 block of Benvenue Avenue.  The adult male victim was waiting in his vehicle for a friend.  The victim was approached by the unknown suspect, who was armed with a gun.  The suspect ordered the victim out of the vehicle.  The victim fearing for his safety got out of the vehicle.  The suspect fled the area taking the victim's vehicle.  The stolen vehicle is a gray, 2006, Pontiac, GTO, two door. 

The suspect is described as:

Suspect - "Black male, early 30s, 5'10" tall, medium complexion, muscular build wearing all dark clothing."

August 25

Person Down, Dana Street/Parker Street

On Saturday, August 25, 2012, at approximately 10:46 p.m., a caller reported a person down near the intersection of Dana and Parker Streets.  A BPD officer arrived on scene and located the male subject.  The officer advised that the subject appeared to be intoxicated and needed medical assistance.  The Berkeley Fire Department was called to assist the subject.  BFD transported the subject to a local hospital for treatment. 

Recovered Stolen Auto, 2900 Block of 7th Street

On Saturday, August 25, 2012 at 10:44 p.m., a security guard reported a suspicious vehicle parked in the 1900 block of 7th Street.  The officer arrived and located the vehicle unoccupied.  A record check on the vehicle showed it had been reported stolen in San Francisco.  The officer contacted the victim and informed them the vehicle was located.  The vehicle was towed for safekeeping until the owner could pick it up. 

COMMUNITY SAFETY TIP:

Do not leave your purse or backpack unattended.  Purses and backpacks hung on chairs or left in shopping carts are easy targets for theft. 

CRIMEVIEW COMMUNITY:

CrimeView Community can be located on the Berkeley Police Department website or at http://berkeley.ca.crimeviewcommunity.com.

Click the "Keep me posted" button below this story for an email alert as soon as we post the crime log. See past crime reports here on Berkeley Patch.

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nick mastick April 28, 2013 at 09:34 pm
Of all the concerns in our society, I put this just about dead last.
Steven Murphy April 17, 2013 at 02:25 am
Hmm. So I think you're telling me I need to add the countdown timers to the long list of BerkeleyRead More idiosyncrasies I need to ignore? I guess can do that. Thanks. --Murph
Alexander Sinclair Merenkov April 15, 2013 at 04:34 pm
This is very interesting. I bicycle and walk a lot around Berkeley. I think i know exactly whatRead More signal is being referred to the walk sign across Bancroft at MLK specifically will reset itself. many of the walk signals rely on induction loops which are loops placed in the ground that can detect Bicycles and Cars when the Bicycles or cars pass over them disrupting the current. You can often see these loops as they look like hexagonal saw cuts in the ground. Anyways the intersection detects traffic with these devices & if it doesn't detect anything then it assumes nothing is there and gives right of way to the major throughway in this case being MLK. So the reason the counter to cross Bancroft resets itself is totally logical because the intersection suspects no one is there and since that side of Bancroft is more or less residential there would be no point in setting that intersection to a timer where it gives priority to one light then the other & switches based on that & not on wether it detects any bicycles or cars passing over the induction loops. Also this is Berkeley and we are rather quirky and always have been so nobody exactly fallows the rules or knows about them its funny how simple crossing the street really is but its anything but simple in reality. Many people choose to jay walk if its safe to do so, this is typical on Shattuck at alston especially and makes sense for efficiency but isn't very safe or lawful. If the hand is flashing/Counting down dont cross!
Janet Scrivener April 6, 2013 at 11:15 pm
Actually, I just saw and spoke to him about an hour ago - the wire sculpture man. He'd moved downRead More Solano a few blocks, opposite Safeway. I asked him if the police had moved him off Colusa. He said he didn't want to talk about it. He wasn't in a very good mood. I told him that people had asked about him on a web local news site. He said, "People want to know how I'm doing? I need a car. I need somewhere to put my stuff in. To get off the streets. I don't want to sit around starving in public." I thought to myself, "Who do I think I am? A Girl Scout leader? Pollyana?" I realized my upbeat, cheery tone was really not what was needed just then. I said I couldn't help him with a car. "People want to know how I'm doing?" he said again. "Tell them that." I said, "I will." I turned to walk away, knowing only too well that the real needs that exist, yes, right here in our lovely, excellent neighborhood, are great and once you start giving you'll find it's difficult to get out of. He did say, "Thank you," as I left. He doesn't look like he's starving. But he's right about being out in public more than he would like to be. As a reasonable human being, I have to ask myself, what sort of person finds himself in that position? Ex con? Mental illness? Mind-blown Vet? Drugs? Alcohol? Incapacitated by an accident? An unforgivable act? Some combination of the above? Jesus did say, "The poor you shall have always with you." What would you do?
P. Park April 4, 2013 at 03:29 am
I agree Shattuck, especially right in front of the fire station is the scariest street around.
Mary April 3, 2013 at 06:45 pm
I am not disabled, but I am terrified of crossing streets nowadays because there are too manyRead More careless and aggressive drivers who act is if red lights, speed limits, and crosswalks either don't exist or don't apply to them. Shattuck in particular has become a nightmare to cross. Sometimes I have counted over 30 cars going by before one stops for the crosswalk. What we need is far more law enforcement - the tickets written would more than pay for the cost of hiring extra officers.