Features

Police Blotter

By RICHARD BRENNEMAN
Tuesday April 20, 2004

Road Rage Leads to Berkeley Shooting 

An outbreak of road rage ended on a dead end Berkeley street Saturday afternoon when one driver shot another in the arm. 

The incident started in North Oakland shortly after 12:30 p.m., and one angry driver pursued another through city streets and on into Berkeley. Unfortunately, the fleeing driver turned onto the 1600 block of Fairview Street, which ends in a barrier at King Street. 

Forced to turn around, the panicked motorist had to pass his pursuer, who fired one shot, striking the 22-year-old in the arm, according to Berkeley Police spokesperson Kevin Schofield. 

The victim was rushed to Kaiser medical center in Oakland, where he was treated for a non-life-threatening injury. 

The shooter, described as an African American male driving a recent vintage maroon or burgundy import sedan, remains at large. 

 

Berkeley police make three gun arrests  

Six minutes before Saturday’s road rage shooting, Berkeley Police were summoned to the 1600 block of Russell Street by an alert citizen who reported a gunman carrying a pistol inside his jacket. 

Officers arrested Manuel Gorrostieta-Martinez on one charge of carrying a concealed weapon, with a separate “enhancement” charge citing him as a gang member. He was taken to Berkeley City Jail, said BPD spokesperson Kevin Schofield. 

The next arrest came at 2:40 a.m. Sunday in the 1600 block of Stuart Street when an officer spotted a young man acting suspiciously. The officer stopped the youth, and quickly found a loaded handgun nearby. 

The 17-year-old was booked into city jail on one charge of carrying a concealed weapon and another of carrying a loaded weapon. 

The same two charges were filed against Mark Lesh, a 21-year-old Oakland man, after an officer stopped him for driving with his high beams. A subsequent search discovered a loaded pistol under the seat, said Officer Schofield. 

Lesh was booked into city jail on the two firearms charges and the vehicle code violation.