Editorials

Strong-arm Robbery 

Five or six men strong-armed a victim out of his black leather jacket at 2 a.m. Friday at the intersection of Sacramento and Ashby. Berkeley Police Department spokesperson Officer Kevin Schofield said the suspects, aged 18 to 20 and wearing sports jerseys and baseball caps, fled on foot. Police had not made any arrests as of Monday afternoon. 

Grand Theft of Earrings 

A middle-aged man entered a store on the 3300 block of Adeline at 1:54 p.m. Friday, grabbed a case of earrings valued at over $800, and sprinted out the door, according to Berkeley Police. Officers apprehended the suspect, 52-year-old Lavell West of Oakland, on 61st Street, recovering the earrings. West was taken into custody. 

Burglary Through Unlocked Door 

Entering through an unlocked rear door, a burglar entered a residence on the 2400 block of Prospect Street Friday and made off with a bicycle. Berkeley Police Department spokesperson Officer Kevin Schofield cautioned residents to keep their doors and windows locked since they provide access to many residential burglaries in the city. 

Car-Jacking at Marina 

A gunman carjacked an Oakland resident at the Berkeley Marina early Saturday morning as the victim was sitting in a parked rental car. The robber broke a window and pointed a gun at the victim, who fled on foot. The suspect got in the car and drove away at 3:43 a.m. Berkeley Police Department spokesperson Officer Kevin Schofield said several officers responded, but the car and suspect have not been located. The gunman is described as an Hispanic male in his late teens or early twenties, 5’6”, 165 pounds. He was wearing a dark knit cap, gray sweatshirt, and dark blue pants. 

Robbery by Simulated Weapon 

A robber pretending to have a weapon in his pocket entered a business on the 1500 block of San Pablo Ave. at 9 p.m. Sunday, demanded that an employee hand over all the cash, then fled on foot with a small amount of cash. Berkeley Police Department spokesperson Officer Kevin Schofield said responding officers captured the suspect, Damien Stuart, 21, of Berkeley, six blocks from the crime scene. He was taken into custody. 

Fleeing Felon Caught 

Officers from the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Department chased an armed parole violator into Berkeley Thursday night. Multiple units from Berkeley Police joined in the chase, along with a helicopter. The pursuit entered Berkeley on University Avenue and ended when the suspect was surrounded and captured at McGee Avenue and Delaware Street. 

Berkeley Police Public Information Officer Kevin Schofield said the helicopter was brought in by the Contra Costa County Sheriff.