This overview of recent crime in Berkeley is based on reports to the Berkeley Police unless otherwise noted. Share photos, videos and tips by emailing crime@berkeleyside.com or on Facebook and Twitter. Don’t assume someone else will alert us. We rely on readers to help us stay informed.
From April 14-20, there were reports of 12 robberies, 18 burglaries, 20 assaults or batteries, five weapon-involved calls and three sexual assaults, according to CrimeMapping.com and other BPD data. There were also six stolen vehicles, 15 disturbances and 19 auto break-ins or thefts from vehicles reported. No significant incidents were reported on CrimeMapping to the University of California Police Department (UCPD), so we’ve filled out the blotter with tidbits from the UCPD crime log. Arrested or charged individuals are presumed innocent. Find our April 14-20 round-up below.
Recent public safety news
PEOPLE’S PARK PATROL AND MORE UCPD appears to have been doing some proactive patrols at People’s Park between about 6:50 and 8 p.m. April 21. Two officers handled a handful of calls involving marijuana, smoking violations, disturbing the peace, an open container and a welfare check. The officers spoke to about six men and one woman at the park about various violations but no arrests were made. On a side note, an hour or so later, at 9:20 p.m., one of those officers handled a suspicious circumstance at Wurster Hall “regarding the display of an art project.”
HATE INCIDENT UCPD responded to the Moffitt Library men’s bathroom April 25 after a 25-year-old male student reported a “hate incident involving vandalism.” The case is under investigation.
VANDALISM VIA MARKER UCPD is looking into a vandalism “via marker” to six UC vehicles at Edwards Stadium between April 29 and May 2.
The week in review: April 14-20
Thursday, April 14
There was a commercial burglary at 12:44 a.m. in the 1600 block of Harmon Street.
There were two disturbance calls, at 1:15 a.m. in the 2900 block of Wheeler Street, and at 7:21 p.m. in the 1600 block of Shattuck Avenue.
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Police are asking for the community’s help to identify a suspect who shot at a homeless man in downtown Berkeley at 3:32 a.m. in the 2100 block of Kittredge Street. Police found a number of bullet strike impacts on the façade of 2165 Kittredge St. Read more on Berkeleyside.
There were three home burglaries: at 6:30 a.m. in the 1800 block of Hopkins Street; at 8 a.m. in the 100 block of Arden Road; and at 11:45 a.m. in the 1600 block of Martin Luther King Jr. Way.
A thief tried to steal a maroon 1994 Toyota Corolla while it was parked at the North Berkeley BART station between 4:15 a.m. and 9:45 p.m. The driver’s door lock and ignition were damaged. The same day, someone tried to steal another 1994 Toyota Corolla from the station between 8 a.m. and 6:40 p.m. The ignition wires were cut and the ignition switch was damaged. (This item first appeared in last week’s blotter for timeliness.)
UCPD reported that an officer gave civil advice at 9:53 a.m. to a UCB employee “regarding erratic behavior by a faculty member” at Dwinelle Hall.
There was a robbery at 10:51 p.m. in the 1700 block of University Avenue at a pizza shop. This was part of a robbery series targeting restaurants in the Bay Area around closing time. Police have made three arrests. This week, police released video from one of the incidents — they declined to say which one — in which restaurant workers can be seen turning out their pockets as the masked robbers look on.
BPD won approval of a grant from Bay Area UASI for about $125,000 to help pay most of the cost for an armored tactical van: “This project would result in the purchase and deployment of an Armored Tactical Van in the north end of the Alameda County Operational Area. This proposal fills an identified gap in resources for this portion of the Operational Area. While other agencies in the Operational Area have armored vehicles available, due to the population density, frequency of use and the events that often happen concurrently, it is not often practical to request mutual aid assistance.”
The van costs about $167,000 total. In the past, to protect officers, BPD has had to rely on armored vehicles from other agencies, which has raised questions from some members of the community. The tactical van looks simply like a regular panel van rather than a militarized vehicle.
Friday, April 15
There was a commercial burglary at 7:37 a.m. in the 600 block of Cedar Street.
There was a home burglary at 8:30 a.m. in the 1200 block of Channing Way.
UCPD reported that a man in his 50s took milk from the “milk/cream table” at a coffee shop on Spieker Plaza just before 9 a.m.
Someone stole a 12-inch brass crucifix worth $40 from 2223 Fulton, room H, sometime between March 10 and April 15, UCPD reported. It’s under investigation. (This item first appeared in last week’s blotter for timeliness.)
UCPD also received a report from an employee about the theft of $2,170 worth of “various power tools” from Cory Hall, room 187, between Feb. 15 and April 15. It’s under investigation.
There was a robbery at 11:50 a.m. in the 2400 block of Hillside Avenue. According to a community report on NextDoor: “I was at home today, around 11.40 am, when I heard shouting outside my house on Hillside Ave. I went out and there was a woman who’s [sic] friend had had her handbag snatched by two people in hoodies who were walking by. The two thieves ran away down the street, and turned right and ran down Dwight. Someone was chasing them and the woman outside my house called the police. I am not sure if they were caught or not. I wanted to warn neighbors to be careful and vigilant.”
UCPD arrested Antonio Magalhaes, 52, at Durant and Bowditch on suspicion of bike theft, carrying a concealed dagger, possession of heroine and drug paraphernalia, and possession of burglary tools. He has already been sentenced and remains in custody at Santa Rita Jail.
There was a misdemeanor sexual assault at 5 p.m. at Shattuck and University avenues.
A vehicle was stolen at 7 p.m. in the 1100 block of Cedar Street.
Also around 7 p.m., according to BPD, “an intoxicated 19-year-old woman fell from the roof of 2725 Channing. A small shed broke her fall, she sustained only minor abrasions and lacerations. She was transported to Highland Hospital as a precaution.”
Saturday, April 16
There was a felony sexual assault at midnight in the 2600 block of College Avenue.
There were five robberies: at 12:20 a.m. in the 1800 block of University; at 10:50 a.m. at Fourth Street and Allston Way; at 7:12 p.m. in the 1700 block of Solano Avenue; at 9:28 p.m. in the 2900 block of Harper Street; and at 9:45 p.m. at Bancroft Way and Grant Street.
FOURTH AND ALLSTON Police arrested Anthony Hales, 40, on suspicion of robbery and two misdemeanors. He remains in custody at Santa Rita Jail with a bail of $215,000 and is scheduled for a pretrial hearing May 26, according to online records from the Alameda County sheriff’s office.
There were two commercial burglaries, at 4:30 a.m. in the 1700 block of Solano, and at 9:29 p.m. in the 800 block of Bancroft Way.
There was a second-response call at 9 a.m. in the 2700 block of Channing Way.
There was a disturbance at 11:37 a.m. in the 2600 block of College.
There were three home burglaries: at 12:50 p.m. in the 1700 block of Russell Street; at 4:52 p.m. in the 1600 block of Blake Street; and at 6 p.m. in the 2600 block of California Street.
Police arrested Lindsay McCollum, 27, on suspicion of vehicle theft and other violations. She is no longer in custody but is scheduled for summary judgment Nov. 9 at the Wiley Manuel Courthouse, according to online records from the sheriff’s department.
There was a call involving a gun or other weapon at 10:56 p.m. at Adeline Street and Alcatraz Avenue. Police arrested Carlos Pennington, 29, on suspicion of several firearms possession violations. He in no longer in custody, having posted bond for $80,000, and is scheduled for an attorney and plea hearing May 16, according to the sheriff’s office.
The BART Police reported that a thief burglarized a 1996 Toyota Corolla while it was parked at the North Berkeley station between 5:25 p.m. and 11:15: “An unknown suspect gained entry by means of a shaved key, and stole the vehicle registration and insurance paperwork.”
Sunday, April 17
There were three disturbance calls: at 12:05 a.m. in the 2100 block of Kittredge Street; at 11 a.m. in the 2300 block of Bonar Street; and at 11:15 a.m. in the 2500 block of Benvenue Avenue.
There were four robberies: at 1:42 a.m. at Dana and Blake streets; at 8:30 a.m. in the 2600 block of Telegraph Avenue; at 11:05 p.m. at College Avenue and Russell Street; and at 11:55 p.m. at Channing Way and Grant Street.
Two vehicles were stolen, at 2:40 a.m. at Delaware Street and San Pablo Avenue, and at 12:57 p.m. in the 600 block of University.
The Berkeley Fire Department extinguished a dumpster fire on Sproul Plaza shortly before 3 a.m., according to UCPD.
There was an arson call at 9:58 a.m. at Hearst and McGee avenues.
There was a felony beating at 1:42 p.m. at Adeline Street and Ashby Avenue. Berkeley Police officers were on the scene after a man was reportedly assaulted by a woman with a metal bat, authorities said. The victim, a man in his 20s, was expected to survive. The assailant was described as a black woman in her 30s, 5 foot 2 to 5 foot 5 inches tall, about 200 pounds. She wore a straight black wig or weave down to her mid-back, and was dressed in a white long-sleeved shirt or jacket, blue plaid pants and a bright red rectangular shoulder bag with a black strap. The woman left in a black Chrysler Sebring. Read more on Berkeleyside.
There was a home burglary at 6 p.m. in the 1600 block of 63rd Street.
Monday, April 18
There were two disturbance calls, at 3:30 a.m. in the 1900 block of Hearst Avenue, and at 7:20 p.m. in the 1900 block of Oxford Street.
Police arrested Margarita Sobalvarro, 24, on suspicion of vehicle theft at about 8:45 a.m. Also arrested in connection with the same case, Dean Delucchi, although the time and date of his arrest were not available. Both remain in custody. Sobalvarro is being held without bail and was scheduled for a hearing to be appointed an attorney Thursday. Delucchi is being held with a bail of $160,000 and is scheduled for arraignment May 17, according to sheriff’s department records.
There was a home burglary at 9:30 a.m. in the 1500 block of Acton Street.
A human skull and three human bones were discovered on Berkeley Lab property during some routine digging to clear a ditch. According to a statement put out by the Lab, a facilities crew working to clear a drainage ditch in “very steep and brushy terrain” on the Lab’s southern perimeter discovered a skull and one bone around 1:30 p.m. Read more on Berkeleyside.
Police arrested Taza Corral Jr., 23, in Oakland on a warrant for a Berkeley burglary. He is no longer in custody but is scheduled for a pretrial hearing June 8 according to sheriff’s office records.
A vehicle was stolen at 7 p.m. in the 2700 block of Hilgard Avenue.
UCPD said a 19-year-old female student reported being “touched by an unknown person” at Kroeber Hall at about 5:10 p.m. The man was described as white, in his 50s, and 5 foot 5 inches tall with a medium build. He had a “tattoo of flowers on his arm,” and was wearing a short-sleeve yellow dress shirt. The case is under investigation.
There as a misdemeanor sexual assault at 7:08 p.m. in the 2300 block of Telegraph Avenue.
There was a commercial burglary at 8:45 p.m. in the 700 block of Addison Street.
Tuesday, April 19
(Note: No calls were listed in CrimeMapping.com; this information came from CrimeView Community, an alternate source of BPD data.)
There were two disturbance calls, at 12:50 a.m. in the 2400 block of Telegraph Avenue, and at 3:20 p.m. at Berryman Street and Bonita Avenue.
There was a felony assault or battery at 12:56 a.m. in the 2300 block of Telegraph Avenue.
Authorities arrested a 44-year-old transient man from San Jose in connection with a double shooting near the Ashby BART station in March that left a man and woman with serious injuries. A deputy with the Sacramento County sheriff’s office arrested Anthony Burton at 3:30 a.m. after finding him asleep in his car, which had set off an alert from the officer’s automated license plate reader. Authorities later indicated a domestic dispute sparked the violence; Burton was identified as the boyfriend of the woman who was injured. He was charged with shooting his girlfriend in the head and opening fire on her male friend. Read more on Berkeleyside.
There were two home burglaries, at 4 p.m. in the 1200 block of Haskell Street, and at 5 p.m. in the 1700 block of Marin Avenue.
UCPD was looking into “vandalism via poster glue to an electrical box” at Hearst and Euclid at about 5:35 p.m.
A vehicle was stolen at 10 p.m. in the 2200 block of Roosevelt Avenue.
At about 11:30 p.m. officers responded to both Berkeley BART stations for a man walking on the tracks while intoxicated and disconnecting emergency phones along the way, the BART Police reported. “Power was shut down on both track ways, and medical personnel staged as officers eventually managed to safely detain the suspect in the underground tunnel/track way between the two stations. Officers determined the suspect was too intoxicated to care for himself, in addition to his trespassing on the track way, and placed him under arrest for both violations. As a precaution, medical personnel cleared the suspect before he was booked into the Berkeley City Jail. Due to this incident, trains were delayed for approximately 30 minutes; nothing unusual was located on the incident track way.” The man’s name was not released. (This item first appeared in an earlier blotter for timeliness.)
Wednesday, April 20
There were two home burglaries, at midnight in the 1500 block of Oregon Street and at 6:30 p.m. in the 3300 block of King Street.
There was a robbery at 12:02 a.m. in the 2600 block of Telegraph Avenue.
There were three calls involving a gun or other weapon: at 2:22 a.m. in the 2800 block of Fulton Street; at 3:28 a.m. in the 800 block of Bolivar Drive; and at 5 p.m. at Virginia Street and San Pablo Avenue.
There were two disturbance calls, at 8:25 a.m. in the 1500 block of Carleton Street, and at 1:15 p.m. in the 2200 block of Fifth Street.
A thief broke into a 2013 Ford Mustang between 7:25 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. while it was parked at the North Berkeley station, the BART Police reported.
A security officer at the Doe Library on the UC Berkeley campus reported “damage to roof tiles caused by a fly away drone” at 5 p.m. The drone owner is listed as a 22-year-old male student. It’s under investigation, UCPD reports. (This item first appeared in last week’s blotter for timeliness.)
Police arrested James Bray, 65, in connection with brass knuckles and various drug-related violations at about 7:40 p.m. in the 1800 block of Ninth Street. He remains in custody with a bail of $390,000 and is scheduled for a pretrial hearing May 17, according to sheriff’s office records.
Berkeley public safety data resources
- The Berkeley Police Department incident log on CrimeMapping and CrimeView Community
- The UCPD crime log, also posted in brief on CrimeMapping, and UCPD crime alerts
- Local Crime News lists arrests of Berkeley residents (not by agency); BPD’s arrest log and booking log (new as of April 2016)
- Nixle public safety alerts, by email and text, from BPD and UCPD
- The Berkeley Police Department’s “calls for service” heat map
- See what the Berkeley Safe Neighborhoods Committee (BSNC) is up to
- Learn about what info BPD can release to the public
- Find your area coordinator to ask about neighborhood issues (but don’t forget to tip Berkeleyside, too!)
Please note: These items represent a sampling of calls; incidents that took place during a range of time are listed unless otherwise noted by the beginning of that time period. New reports may be added to CrimeMapping in an unpredictable manner, so numbers may increase in the days after this report. This post does not reflect every call. See recent Berkeley crime blotters.
Related:
Man held to answer in Berkeley murder, carjacking case (05.04.16)
Attorneys spar over evidence in death penalty case (05.04.16)
Police offer $10K reward in Grizzly Peak murder case (05.03.16)
Prosecutor: ‘Alaysha saw her killer’ and he saw her (05.03.16)
Emerson Elementary student finds gun, takes it to school (05.02.16)
Man charged after lewd acts with 5-year-old in Berkeley (05.02.16)
Jaywalkers beware, flyaway drone damage, pilfered postage stamps, found ammo, more (04.29.16)
UC Berkeley student arrested after fraternity rape report (04.29.16)
Police arrest 3 after armed, masked restaurant robbery series, 9 in Berkeley (04.28.16)
Sister of man charged with 2 murders takes the stand (04.26.16)
Fire in Berkeley apartment building displaces around 30 (04.26.16)
Berkeley killings get spotlight in death penalty case (04.25.16)
3 teens arrested after Berkeley student fights downtown (04.22.16)
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