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POLICE BRIEFS

Staff
Wednesday April 18, 2001

High school-aged assailants targeted pedestrians listening to portable CD players in a series of robberies last week, police said. 

A man walking along the 1900 block of Sacramento Street about 11:30 p.m. Wednesday was tripped from behind by three suspects, said Berkeley Police Lt. Russell Lopes.  

As the victim struggled to get back to his feet, two of the suspects allegedly kicked and punched him while the third went through his pockets searching for his wallet. 

The victim managed to get away from his attackers without being robbed, Lopes said, and with no more serious injuries than a number of bruises and abrasions. 

But, about an hour later, two youths attacked another lone pedestrian nearby, at the corner of Bancroft Way and Jefferson Avenue, this time forcibly removing the victim’s CD player before making their escape, Lopes said. 

Thursday night about midnight a third pedestrian listening to a portable CD player was approached by two suspects near the intersection of King and Woolsey streets. As one suspect pressed an object against the back of the victims neck, possibly simulating a gun, the victim handed over his CD player, wallet and briefcase, Lopes said. 

Police have no leads in connection with the robberies, Lopes said, but they believe all three incidents may have involved the same suspects. 

When the suspects didn’t get anything in the first attack, the may have “(walked) a couple blocks away (to) do it again until they (got) something,” Lopes said. 

••• 

A 19-year-old female UC Berkeley Student leaving the International House at the corner of Bancroft Way and Piedmont Avenue Sunday night was surrounded and groped by four high school-aged youths, police said.  

The victim managed to break away from her attackers and run home, where she immediately called police, said Lt. Lopes. 

Police failed to locate the alleged attackers Sunday and have made no arrests in the case, Lopes said. 

••• 

A man found a body in some bushes near the railroad tracks at the end of Page Street Tuesday morning. 

Police called to the scene found a hand gun and a suicide note indicating that the 41-year-old man had taken his own life after being diagnosed with a terminal illness. 

Police believe the man shot himself sometime Monday night. Although he was not a Berkeley resident he routinely visited the city for business, Lt. Lopes said.