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Store's owners had seen robbery suspect
Daily Planet Staff
The man who was shot and killed after an armed robbery Wednesday night had previously visited the jewelry store, the shop’s owners say.
The owners of Sona Jewelers at 1640 University Ave., who were robbed at gunpoint, said they and their 3 1/2-year-old daughter were handcuffed and forced to lie face down on the floor of their store by the suspect.
Berkeley residents Manisha and Vinod Patel told the Daily Planet on Thursday that they let the suspect into their store at closing time because he had been there before, ostensibly to order an Indian religious pendant for his meditation practices.
He drew a design for them of the pendant he wanted, taking about 10 minutes to do so, then he pulled out a gun.
Manisha Patel thought the man was joking but then the suspect told them his intention to rob them, and he produced handcuffs as well.
The couple were lying down behind the counter while the suspect pulled jewelry down from displays on the walls, but they stood up when he put his gun away to put the items in his backpack. They were able to activate a silent alarm, right around 7:30 p.m., and the first officer arrived in two or three minutes, said Vinod Patel.
As the suspect fled through the rear of the store, Mrs. Patel freed herself from loose handcuffs and released her husband’s handcuffs and the couple ran to the back door and shouted for help.
The man fled the scene into an adjoining residential neighborhood. Police were able to seal off one block and began searching for the suspect. As officers conducted their search, a taxi cab van approached the intersection of Jefferson Avenue and Allston Way. One of the officers believed an occupant matched the description of the suspect. When he attempted to stop the vehicle, the suspect pulled out a gun and pointed it at the officers, who shot the man.
The suspect was transported to Highland Hospital, where he was pronounced dead a short time later. His identity had not been released as of Thursday night by the police department or the Alameda County Coroner’s Office.
A woman passenger in the taxi cab van has been taken into custody, said Berkeley Police Lt. Maloney. She has been booked into the Berkeley City Jail, charged with one count of robbery. Maloney said that the department is not yet releasing her identity.
He also said the names of the officers involved in the shooting are not being released yet. In accordance with the police department’s policy they have been placed on administrative leave for five days.
Maloney said the Alameda County District Attorney’s office has sent an investigative team to work with the Berkeley Police homicide detail in the investigation.
