Woman Robbed of Cell Phone near Cal Campus

Two males took a woman's cell phone in a strong-arm robbery Wednesday evening a block from the UC Berkeley main campus, UC Berkeley police said today, Friday.

The 7:45 p.m. robbery occurred at Scenic Avenue and Ridge Road, in the so-called "Holy Hill" area north of campus.

The campus has been plagued by a number of recent robberies. (See list of related articles below.) Campus police recently beefed up patrols and posted flyers around campus following several armed robberies on or near the campus.

Here is the full UC Berkeley police alert with more details on the Wednesday night robbery, including a description of the suspects and police safety tips:

BPD Case Number: 13-63735

STRONG-ARM ROBBERY
RIDGE ROAD AT SCENIC AVENUE

On Wednesday, October 30th, 2013, at 7:45 p.m., a strong-arm robbery occurred near the intersection of Ridge Road and Scenic Avenue.  The victim, an adult female with unknown affiliation to UCB, was walking on the sidewalk when she was approached from behind by the two suspects.  The suspects took her cell phone and fled on foot.  The victim was not injured during the encounter.  The victim reported the offense the following day to the Berkeley Police Department because she did not have access to a telephone.

The suspects were described as:
Suspect #1:  Black, male, between 16 to 19 years of age, slim to medium build, short hair, and wearing a black windbreaker jacket.
Suspect #2:  Black, male, between 16 to 19 years of age, slim to medium build.

If you have any information about this crime, please contact:
Berkeley Police Department, (510) 981-5900 / 24 Hours

UCPD would like to remind the campus community about the following safety tips:

•       Utilize the free Night Safety Services located at
http://nightsafety.berkeley.edu
•       Travel with a friend or in a group
•       Be alert and aware of your surroundings
•       Avoid dark, vacant or deserted areas
•       Use well-lit, well-traveled routes
•       Dress in clothes and shoes which will not hamper movement
•       When out and about, keep your electronic devices out of public view as
they are a popular robbery target
•       Dial 510-642-3333 or use a Blue Light emergency phone if you need help.

Related articles:

• Woman Robbed of Cell Phone near Cal Campus (Nov. 1, 2013)
• Female Student Slapped, Robbed on Cal Campus (Oct. 23, 2013)
• UC Police Beefing Up Patrols After Rash of Robberies (Oct. 16, 2013)
• Another Armed Robbery of a Cal Student on Campus (Oct. 15, 2013)
• Student Knocked Down, Robbed at Gunpoint on Cal Campus (Oct. 14, 2013)
• Cal Student Assaulted by 3 Robbers on Campus (Oct. 14, 2013)
• Student Shoved, Robbed of Cell Phone next to Cal Dorm (Oct. 12, 2013)
• Woman Hit, Robbed Next to UC Campus (Oct. 10, 2013)
• 3 Arrested After Employee Kicked in Tip-Jar Robbery at Caffe Med (Oct. 3, 2013)
• FBI Crime Data Reflects Berkeley Crime Increase
• String of Weekend Assaults on UC Berkeley Fraternity Row
• Cell Phone Robbery on UC Campus – Minor Injuries to Female Victim
• Berkeley Pedestrian Robberies Jump 35% This Year
• Another Robbery Near UC Berkeley
• Another Robbery: Cal Student Pushed from Behind While Walking
• Another Armed Robbery in Berkeley
• UC Student Describes Being Robbed as Bystander Stood By
• Armed Robbery at North Gate of Cal Campus
• Purse-Grab Robbery of Woman on Telegraph Ave.
• 2 Females Pushed, Robbed at Gunpoint South of UC Campus
• 2 Students Robbed at Gunpoint at UC Housing Complex
• Man, Woman Robbed at Gunpoint Near UC Campus
• 5 Robbers Take Man's Cell Phone, Wallet at Gunpoint Near Cal Campus

For other police-related news on Berkeley Patch, see our "Police and Fire" section.