Editorials

A woman was kidnapped, beaten and sexually assaulted early Wednesday morning, according to Lt. Cynthia Harris of the Berkeley Police Department. 

The woman was walking home in south Berkeley around 5 a.m. When she neared the corner of Prince Street and Martin Luther King, Jr. Way, a dark blue Ford automobile pulled up alongside her. 

A man got out of the car and forced the victim inside. The man forced the woman to perform sexual acts with him while another man drove around the city. The two men may have traded positions at some point. 

At another point, the victim struck her assailant. The suspect responded by hitting the victim with a hammer. 

The woman was put out of the vehicle at the corner of San Pablo and University at around 6 a.m. 

The suspect who originally forced the victim into the car is described as an light-skinned African-American male in his mid-30s, about 5 feet, 6 inches tall and weighing 170 pounds. He had French braids, and was wearing blue jeans and a tan, waist-length jacket. 

The second suspect is described as a dark-skinned African-American male in his mid-30s with short hair and was clean-shaven. 

The crime is being investigated. 

A Berkeley hills resident watched as a man prowled in her garage and stole two six-packs of beer Wednesday afternoon, according to Lt. Harris. 

At about 1:10 p.m., the victim had just returned to her home on Whitaker Street when she heard suspicious noises in her garage. She looked out and saw the suspect, carrying the beer, flee into a waiting getaway car. 

The suspect is described only as a heavy-set male wearing a white T-shirt and black jeans. The car was red and of foreign make and flew an American flag. 

Two young men, possibly minors, perpetrated a string of armed stickups in the Southside and downtown areas early Tuesday morning, according to Lt. Harris. 

The suspects held up at least four people walking on the streets between the hours of 12:30 and 2 a.m., stealing several wallets, cash, a backpack and a cigarette case. They worked their way from the corner of Berkeley Way and Henry Street, through the Telegraph Avenue area and ending on the corner of Blake and Ellsworth Streets. 

The suspects wore black ski masks during some of the robberies, and one carried a silver semiautomatic handgun. 

A commercial robbery was foiled by a recalcitrant cashier Tuesday afternoon, according to Lt. Harris. 

Two men entered the “Fashion 4 Less” store at 2000 San Pablo Ave. around 3 p.m. While one went to buy a pair of shoelaces, the other stepped outside.  

After the cashier opened the register to give the man change for the laces, she noticed that he was pointing a small handgun at her. The suspect told the victim to hand over the money in the register, whereupon she slammed it shut and started screaming. 

The suspect fled the store.  

Earlier that day, according to the victim, the men had browsed in the store for about 45 minutes without buying anything. 

The suspect with the handgun is described as a thin Hispanic male between the ages of 20 and 22, around 5 feet, 3 inches tall. He was clean-shaven, and was wearing a gray jacket and a light blue knit cap. 

The other suspect is described as a “fat” Hispanic male between the ages of 20 and 22, about 5 feet, 4 inches tall. He had a slight mustache and was wearing gray shorts and a plaid, short-sleeve shirt.