Features

Gunman Foiled 

A hooded man packing a pistol confronted a 53-year-old woman walking along Page Street between Fifth and Sixth streets a few minutes before 8 a.m. Tuesday, said Berkeley Police spokesperson Officer Joe Okies. 

When she refused to hand over her cash, the heister hoofed it. 

Rat Pack Strikes 

A gang of six to eight teenagers surrounded a 40-year-old man on Allston Way at Strawberry Creek Park early Tuesday evening. 

After striking their victim with a piece of wood, the gang grabbed his cash and departed. 

Good Samaritan Official 

A felonious fellow who attacked a customer leaving the newly opened Spud’s Pizza at Adeline Street and Alcatraz Avenue Tuesday evening got more than he bargained for. 

A Good Samaritan in the personage of Taj Johns, a neighborhood liaison in the city manager’s officer, stepped into the fray and the batterer fled, with Johns in pursuit. 

She was able to trail the fellow until police arrived and arrested him for two counts of battery—one against the pizza buyer, the other against Johns—and one count of probation violation. 

The fellow was a familiar face to police, who had busted him early the previous day for trespass at a service station in the 1200 block of University Avenue. 

Belated Robbery Report 

A teenager called police during the lunch hour Wednesday to report that he’d been robbed of his cell phone nearly four hours earlier. He was able to identify the suspect, another juvenile, whom police then arrested. 

Anniversary Promotion 

Officer Lester Soo was promoted to sergeant Thursday on his 31st anniversary with the Berkeley Police Department. Among his many duties had been service as a field training officer teaching newly minted officers the ropes. 

One of those he trained was Officer Okies.)