A 16-year-old boy was attacked and robbed Sunday night while walking to his car from Codornices Park in the Berkeley Hills, authorities report.
The assailants — two boys who appeared to be 17 years old — punched and choked the boy, causing him to pass out during the robbery, according to the Berkeley Police Department.
The robbery happened at about 9:15 p.m. when the 16-year-old, a Berkeley resident, was walking from the park, which is located at 1201 Euclid Ave., to his car just south of Eunice Street.
Police said the two assailants approached the teen from behind and attacked him. Then they took his car keys.
The pair ultimately did not take the boy’s car, likely because it was a manual transmission, police said, but they did rummage through it.
BPD said nothing ultimately appeared to have been taken from the vehicle.
The suspects were described as Black males, 17 years old, about 5 feet 10 inches tall wearing dark clothing and ski masks.
The Berkeley Fire Department medically evaluated the 16-year-old at the scene.
BPD asks anyone with tips or surveillance footage from the mugging to call the robbery unit at 510-981-5742.
Councilmember Susan Wengraf, who represents the Berkeley Hills, said she hopes anyone with information to share will come forward.
“It’s sad to realize that our youth can no longer gather in our neighborhood parks safely,” she told Berkeleyside shortly after publication. “I am hoping that the assailants will be caught and charged for this unprovoked and life-threatening violent assault on an innocent teenager.”
There have been at least 130 robberies reported in Berkeley over the past six months, according to CrimeMapping.com, a repository of local police data.