Crime Blotter: Meth Pipe, Identity Theft and Residential Burglary

Sunday, April 8, 2012 

Driving while Intoxicated
2400 block of Durant Avenue
At 1:39 a.m., a Berkeley Police Department patrol sergeant make a traffic enforcement stop of a 28-year-old San Leandro man who was driving the wrong was on a one way street. The Sergeant smelled a strong odor of an alcohol on the man’s breath, who didn’t pass a Field Sobriety Test and was booked.

Parole Violation Warrant and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia 
2500 block of Regent Street 
At about 6:00 p.m., the beat officer spotted a Berkeley man that he knew had a felony warrant. The officer detained the man did a records check to confirm the warrant. During a search incident to the 32-year-old’s arrest, the Berkeley Police Officer found what he recognized as a “meth” pipe in the man’s pocket. The officer booked the suspect into the Berkeley Police Department Jail for the warrant and violation.

Possession of Narcotics for Sale Arrest
Blake and Mathews Streets 
At 11:32 p.m., a BPD patrol officer made a traffic stop of a Lexus with no license plates. The officer smelled a strong odor of marijuana coming from the interior of the car and saw an open alcoholic beverage bottle on the floorboard. The officer directed the driver, a 42-year-old Berkeley man, to get out of the car so he could do a probable cause search of the car for additional alcohol or drugs. The officer felt a hard object consistent with a large rock of cocaine base aka “crack cocaine” in the man’s outer jacket pocket. During a further search incident to the suspect’s arrest, the BPD officer found cash in small denominations, a cell phone and additional cocaine base. Based on the quantity of cocaine, nearly 7 grams, the cash and cell phone, the officer booked the suspect into the BPD Jail for Possession of Narcotics, Cocaine Base for Sale, a felony with $20,000 bail.

Monday, April 9, 2012 

Residential Burglary via unlocked window1900 Block of Curtis Street 
At about 8:00 a.m., an unidentified suspect climbed to an unsecured second floor window and entered an apartment. The suspect then went through the apartment looking for items, rummaging through drawers and left through the front door with property including a laptop, digital camera and other audio equipment .

 Possession of Stolen Property From Recent Burglary
1900 block of Francisco Street 
At about 11:10 p.m., a community member called to report a “suspicious person who was looking into parked cars”. A Berkeley Police Department Officer detained a 36-year-old Emeryville man. The man was wearing distinct headphones around his neck which the officer recognized as possibly stolen from a recent burglary in the 2300 block of Blake Street. The Berkeley PD called the victims of the burglary and asked them to come to the location of the detention. The victims positively identified the distinct $600 headphones as theirs in addition to miscellaneous computer parts such as cords and thumb drives. During a search of the suspect, the officer found a flashlight, screwdriver, knife keys and scrap metal. In addition, the suspect had a glass pipe used to smoke cocaine base aka “crack” in his pocket. The Berkeley PD booked the Emeryville man for violations of 496PC, 466 PC and H&S 11364.

Grand Theft of Laptop 
1200 Sixth Street 
A North Carolina man was at a popular restaurant at about 10:00 a.m. He was eating breakfast when he got a call on his cell phone. Since the call became extended, the man walked outside the eatery to talk for approximately 30 minutes and left his Mac laptop on the table. When he finished his call and returned to his seat, he discovered that the computer was gone. He asked employees and customers but no one had noticed the theft.

Tuesday April 10, 2012

Identity Theft – Tax Return/Refund Fraud 
1300 block of University Avenue
At about 3:20 p.m., a Berkeley woman called the Berkeley PD to report that she was the victim identity theft. An unknown suspect had filed her income tax return and received over $1400.00 in Federal return money. The woman’s CPA told her that her E-file of her tax return was rejected for an unknown reason. The woman called the IRS and inquired into why her return was rejected and discovered that someone had stolen her identity and filed her return.

Driving Under the Influence and Possession of Methamphetamine Arrest
Ashby and San Pablo Avenues
At approximately 11:05 a.m., a community member called to report a possible drunk driver as she noticed her weaving in the traffic lane behind her. When the two cars got to the traffic signal at eastbound Ashby at San Pablo, the suspect driver bumped the caller’s car twice with her car from behind. When Berkeley PD officers arrived, they detained the 58-year-old Pinole woman who exhibited signs of being under the influence of drugs. She admitted to having taken valium and due to her state Berkeley Fire Department paramedics decided to transport her to a local ER for further medical assessment. During a search incident to the woman’s arrest for driving under the influence of Rx drugs, the case officer [found] two knives, drug paraphernalia and a bag containing over 22 grams of powder methamphetamine. Upon further search, the officer found cash and a cell phone. The officer’s records check of the suspect revealed that her license was suspended. The suspect agreed to a blood test. BPD eventually booked her for H&S 11378 and 23152(a)CVC and towed her car from the scene. The woman who called to report her as a drunk driver sustained no damage to her Lexus.

Counterfeit US Currency, Fraudulent CA. Driver’s License and False Information to a Peace Officer Arrest
3000 block of San Pablo Avenue
At about 12:40 p.m. on  two male suspects went into Easy Liquor (3045 San Pablo Ave) to buy some beer and cigar wraps. One of the suspect handed the clerk what the clerk determined was a counterfeit $50 bill. The clerk told the men to return the change which they would not. The clerk called BPD. The suspects ran off. While the BPD officer was at the store taking a statement from the clerk, one of the suspects returned. The clerk pointed him out to the officer. When detained, the suspect said that “he was trying to get his hustle on.” When the officer asked for identification, the suspect provided the officer with a fraudulent California Driver License. The suspect refused to offer his true name. The BPD officer arrested John Doe and booked him into the BPD Jail. The other suspect in the crime was not located.