Features

Police Blotter By RICHARD BRENNEMAN

Tuesday March 07, 2006

Simulated gun, real heist 

A young fellow professing to be carrying a piece in his pocket robbed a 24-year-old Berkeley woman of the laptop computer she was carrying as she walked along the 2500 block of Telegraph Avenue early last Wednesday. 

The victim was approached as she neared the corner of Dwight Way just before 6:30 a.m., and rather than find out if that really was a pistol in his pocket, she decided to hand over the black bag containing her computer.  

 

Strange robbery 

A 17-year-old Berkeley man was robbed of his car keys in a strange robbery that occurred in the 1400 block of Oregon Street shortly before 11 p.m. Wednesday.  

Berkeley police spokesperson Officer Ed Galvan said the young man was approached by a gunman who was the oldest of a trio of occupants in a red car. 

The man pointed a pistol at him and demanded his car keys. When the youth complied, the gunman warned him that if he called police, they would come back and steal his car. 

The young man called police, but the trio—which consisted of a gunman in his thirties who was accompanied by two other men a decade or so younger—was gone when police arrived. 

 

Dumb robbery 

Despite the ski mask, the puffy jacket and the baggy jeans, the 21-year-old resident of a home in the 2600 block of Piedmont Avenue was still able to identify the fellow who robbed him of his wallet and $5 in cash as his former roomie. 

 

Partner abuse 

An early Thursday morning call to a home in the 1600 block of Fairview Street ended in the arrest of a 52-year-old man on suspicion of spousal abuse, false imprisonment, resisting arrest and possession of drug paraphernalia. 

Police were called to the home at 2:35 a.m. and arrived to find the front door locked. After the suspect refused them entry, officers forced their way in, subdued the suspect and took him away to the county jail at Santa Rita. 

After an examination by paramedics, the man’s partner—a 30-year-old woman he had attempted to choke—declined further medical aid. 

 

Golden Gate felons 

Police recovered two stolen cars from Golden Gate Fields early Thursday morning, the first being a BMW stolen from the 2100 block of McKinley Avenue in Berkeley and the second a Toyota Camry stolen in Oakland. 

 

Guns stolen 

Police suspect a former tenant was the culprit who stole two handguns and a straight razor from a residence in the 2900 block of Harper Street. 

Officer Galvan said the crime, which apparently took place on Feb. 28, was reported to police two days later. 

Entry was apparently effected by means of a key, which is what led to suspicions about the former tenant, who apparently knew where the weapons were kept. 

 

Close call 

The sounds of someone jiggling the lock of her front door alarmed a South Berkeley woman late Thursday evening, and when she went to look, she saw a previously unknown bald man in a black coat trying to unlock her door. 

Catching sight of the resident within, the would-be intruder bolted, then headed toward a neighbor’s house where he leapt the fence and landed out of sight.  

A prompt response by police ended with the apprehension of a 32-year-old suspect who turned out to be in possession of keys belonging to the woman’s daughter, who had lost them a week earlier. 

The suspect was booked on suspicion of burglary, possession of stolen property (the keys), resisting arrest, vandalism and loitering. 

 

Smash and carry 

A window-smashing car clouter hit at least four vehicles in the south-of-campus area Friday afternoon. 

The first call came at 5:19 p.m., when officers were summoned to the 2400 block of Haste Street by a caller who said that a “gypsy trader” had made off with a bag of clothes after smashing a car window. 

Nine minutes later, officers were summoned to the 2500 block of Dwight Way, when a car window smash had resulted in the theft of a radio. 

Another 12 minutes and officers were called back to the 2400 block of Haste, where a window smash had resulted in a harvest of CDs. 

The next call came 22 minutes later, when officers were called to the 2300 block of Harper Street, where the window-smasher had collected a briefcase with checks and some luggage. 

The suspect remains at large.