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Four people were threatened and robbed after dining at a popular downtown eatery Sunday, according to Lt. Cynthia Harris of the Berkeley Police Department. 

Three juveniles and an adult had finished eating at Taqueria Cancun, 2134 Allston Way, at around 8 p.m. They were just getting into their car to drive home when a man approached the driver’s window. The man said that he had a gun, and he demanded their money. The four victims gave him their money. The suspect then demanded their wallets as well. One of the victims gave the suspect his wallet, whereupon the suspect fled the scene. 

The four victims decided to follow the suspect after calling the police. Arriving on the scene, an officer spoke to a witness who had seen a man running down another street. 

The tip led to the arrest of a 23-year old Richmond man, who was identified as the suspect by all four victims. The man was taken into custody. 

According to Lt. Harris, it is not known whether the suspect is linked to a similar crime that took place in the same neighborhood on Thursday. A couple was robbed just as they were getting into their car on Oxford Street, between Kittredge Street and Allston Way. The suspect in that case also asked for the victims’ wallets, and also said that he had – but did not brandish – a gun. 

A man was assaulted with a blunt metal object, presumably after eating at a free-breakfast program on College Avenue Saturday, according to Lt. Harris. 

The victim told police that after finishing his breakfast at 8:30 a.m., the suspect, whom he knew, approached him and began beating him over the head with a length of metal pipe or a flashlight. The suspect said nothing to the victim. 

The victim, who declined treatment, told the police that he only knew the suspect’s “street name.” The police were able to use that information to find the true identity of the suspect, who was arrested and taken into custody some time Monday night or Tuesday morning, according to Harris. 

– Hank Sims