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A man was the victim of a car-jacking early Sunday morning at the corner of Curtis Street and Hearst Avenue, according to police. 

Police say that around 1 a.m. Sunday, a man left a late-night business establishment with several friends. After saying goodnight to his companions and turning to walk toward his dark green Toyota Camry, he noticed a man allegedly running toward his car. The victim was opening his car door when the suspect hit him over the head with a bottle, then grabbed him by the throat, according to Sgt. Kay Lantow, police spokesperson. 

The suspect allegedly told the victim to hand over his money. The victim handed him his wallet. The suspect then told the victim to give him his car keys, police said. When the suspect went to retrieve his keys from his pocket, the suspect made a sudden move, police said. Thinking he was about to be hit again, the victim dropped his keys and blocked his face. 

The suspect retrieved the keys, told the victim not to “do anything stupid” and drove away in his car, Lantow said. As of Monday afternoon, the car had not been recovered. 

Police describe the suspect as a white male, around 19 or 20 years old, 5 feet 8 inches, weighing about 145 pounds. He was wearing a dark beanie cap, and his face was covered with a dark blue bandana. 

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Wild Oats Market on University Avenue reported that it suspected an employee of stealing approximately $700 from a cash register Saturday. The theft was not noticed until around 11 p.m., but a co-worker told the police that an employee had left suddenly in the middle of his shift. 

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A man died at Golden Gate Fields horse-racing track early Saturday morning. 

The Alameda County coroner’s office ruled that Raul Medina, a 22-year old native of Tamaulipas, Mexico died from natural causes after suffering from a seizure. 

Police say that a person who works in the stables at Golden Gate Fields heard someone cry out in pain sometime before 8:50 a.m. Suspecting that a horse had injured someone, the employee looked through a door and saw Medina lying on his back and pounding at his chest with his clenched fist. 

Paramedics were called. They determined that Medina had suffered a seizure, and transported him to the Highland Hospital emergency room in Oakland. 

A police spokesperson said that officers on the scene were initially concerned about blood found on Medina’s clothing. However, the coroner’s report said that the blood was from an earlier injury. 

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A man was held up at knife-point outside his home at the corner of Ninth Street and Bancroft Way early Saturday morning, police said. 

The victim told police that four people, two men and two women who frequently loitered on the corner approached him around 5:30 a.m. as he exited his home. 

As they came near, one man raised his shirt, pulled out a switchblade knife and opened it with the push of a button, police said. The man with the knife pointed it at the victim, while the other man stood nearby, police said. The two women allegedly stood at some distance. 

The victim took out his wallet and asked his assailants if they wanted his money. They took the $110 he had with him and left, Lantow said. 

The suspect who carried the knife is described as a black male between the ages of 21 and 24, approximately 5 feet 9 inches, clean-shaven and with short, black hair. He was wearing a blue T-shirt, blue jeans and tennis shoes. The other man was around 19 years old, 5 feet 6 inches with a 3 inch afro. He was wearing a red T-shirt, blue jeans, black tennis shoes and a black ski cap. 

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A man and a woman, both in their early 20s, were robbed by two men, one of whom carried a gun, while they walked down College Avenue Friday night. 

The couple had walked past Woolsey Street when they passed a man they described as “obese.” The woman said that the suspect turned around and began to follow them. After a short distance, another heavy-set man sprung out from behind a hedge, Lantow said. He allegedly pointed a gun at the couple. 

The suspects demanded the couple’s money, police said. They handed them their wallets, which contained approximately $150 in addition to their credit cards and identification. 

Police say the suspects are black males in their mid-to-late 20s or early 30s. The gunman was about 5 feet 10 inches, 200 pounds, and wore all black clothing, with a scarf or possibly a turtleneck sweater covering his face. The heavier man was 5 feet 10 inches, 250 pounds, and wore a waist-length leather jacket and baggy pants. He had short or shaved hair.  

Police say that at least one other robbery was committed in the last week by victims who match the descriptions of the suspects. 

– compiled by Hank Sims