Features

Police Blotter By RICHARD BRENNEMAN

Tuesday July 12, 2005

Tall, Thin, Deadly 

A thin man about 6’5” tall who professed to be packing a deadly weapon convinced a woman to surrender her cash about 2:15 a.m. Thursday near the corner of Blake and Ellsworth streets, said Berkeley Police spokesperson Officer Joe Okies. 

 

Bottle Hurler 

Police are seeking the 20-something woman who hurled a bottle at a 59-year-old woman outside St. Helena Liquors at 2198 San Pablo Ave. shortly after noon Thursday. 

Officer Okies said the bottle didn’t cause serious damage to the intended victim but did manage to inflict some property damage. 

 

Drive-By Shooting 

A man was sitting in his car on Francisco Street near the corner of Curtis Street just before 9 p.m. Thursday when a dark gray PT Cruiser pulled alongside, a dark tinted window rolled down and a handful of pistol appeared, followed by a volley of shots. 

The would-be victim sustained only superficial injuries in the potentially deadly attack, said Okies.  

 

Laptop Robbery 

A pair of strongly built felons approached a man in the 1900 Block of University Avenue at 2:45 a.m. Friday, when one of them delivered a kick just before the pair made off with their victim’s laptop computer. 

The two men were associated with a red vehicle with out-of-state plates which was last seen headed southbound on Shattuck Avenue, said Officer Okies. 

 

Gang of Four 

Four bandits braced a 33-year-old man in the 2300 block of Durant Avenue about 12:48 a.m. Sunday and strong-armed him into forking over his wallet and cash. 

 

Escalatio 

A verbal altercation between two men outside the 76 Station at 901 Ashby Ave. just before 1:30 p.m. Saturday clicked up a notch when one of the two headed to his car and returned with a baseball, which he brandished at the other before setting it down. 

After the argument escalated yet again, the would-be bat-wielder picked up an air hose and swung it, striking his co-disputant squarely in the head. 

At that point, the bat-threatened and hose-hit fellow and his opponent launched into a round of fisticuffs, resulting in the flight of bat boy. 

Officer Okies said the two fellows were known to each other before the fracas. An investigation into the brouhaha is now underway. 

 

Youthful Villains 

Police are seeking two youths between the ages of 12 and 14 who robbed a 70-something woman outside the Berkeley Bowl shortly after 6 p.m. Sunday. 

The two grabbed at her purse, which she unsuccessfully fought to keep before the young bandits fled the scene on their bicycles. 

By continuing the fight after she tried to keep the purse, the youngsters elevated their crime from a simple purse snatch to a more serious strong-arm robbery, said Officer Okies. 

 

Woman Snatches Purse 

A woman in her 30s approached a 20-year-old woman near the corner of Regent and Parker streets shortly before 11 p.m. Sunday, knocked her to the ground and then made off with her purse.