Features

Police Blotter

– Hank Sims
Saturday December 15, 2001

 

 


For the second time in two months, Berkeley Medical Herbs, a medicinal marijuana club in the “Old Brick House” at 1672 University Ave. was allegedly held up by armed robbers on Thursday. 

Lt. Cynthia Harris of the Berkeley Police Department said that the case was under investigation, and the BPD was not releasing any additional information to the public at this time. 

 


A deliveryman for the East Bay Express alerted police after seeing a man take a stack of newspapers from a box near Spenger’s Fresh Fish Grotto Thursday evening, according to Harris. 

Harris said that unknown persons have recently been taking the free newspaper off the streets in bulk and selling them for scrap. 

After taking the papers, the suspect put them in a car and drove away. The deliverer noted the car’s license plate, Harris said, and the case is under investigation. 

 


A woman was robbed and a passer-by threatened on the 2000 block of Berkeley Way Thursday morning, according to Harris. 

The victim was walking down the street at around 11:30 a.m., when two men approached her from behind. One of them grabbed her purse. 

A bystander shouted at the suspects to give the purse back. One of the suspects told the bystander that he had a gun, although no one reported seeing it. The two then fled on foot. 

The suspects are described as African-American males between the ages of 16 and 20.  

One was about 5 feet 9 inches tall and of stocky build. He wore a black jacket that reversed to gray and dark jeans. 

The other suspect was about 5 feet 10 inches tall and of medium build. He wore a black jacket that reversed to white and green and dark jeans. 

 


Another dog robbery was reported in south Berkeley on Wednesday, according to Harris. (In its Dec. 8 edition, the Daily Planet reported two dog thefts in South Berkeley.) 

The victim told police that he had let a friend walk Sputnik, his German shepard/rottweiler mix, on Tuesday evening. The friend did not return, and the suspect called the police shortly after midnight. 

The incident was entered into the books as a petty theft. The BPD is investigating. 

 


A deliveryman for the Modern Express Courier company was held up and a bag of goods entrusted to him was taken Tuesday evening, according to Harris. 

At around 5:30 p.m., the victim was loading goods into his truck on the 2000 block of Shattuck Avenue. The suspect approached, and told the victim that he needed a ride across town. The victim replied that the suspect would have to find another way. 

The suspect then asked the victim to give him a large brown bag that was sitting on the passenger seat of the victim’s Ford Ranger. The victim declined. The suspect then opened his jacket and showed the victim that he was carrying a gun. The suspect took the bag and fled on foot. 

The suspect is described as an dark-skinned African-American male in his late 40s. He was around 5 feet 10 inches tall and weighed around 180 pounds. He had a mustache and a beard, and wore a dark watch cap and a dark green jacket. 

Anyone with information about this crime is asked to call the BPD Robbery Detail at 981-5742.