Features

Police Blotter

By Richard Brenneman
Friday October 06, 2006

Police seeks suspects in two sexual assaults 

Campus and city police are seeking suspects in two sexual attacks that occurred last week, campus Police Chief Victoria L. Harrison announced Thursday. 

The first assault happened just after 8 p.m. Sept. 28 on Fulton Street near the Channing Way intersection when a bald or shaved-head man wearing jeans and a hoodie grabbed a woman from behind and threw her to the ground. 

When the woman began struggling with her assailant, he gave up and fled northbound on Fulton. 

The second attack was reported early on the morning of Sept. 30 by a student who had been drinking at the Down Low nightclub at 2284 Shattuck Ave. when she began feeling strange. 

Berkeley Police Department spokesperson Officer Ed Galvan said all the information provided to officers came from an emergency room nurse, who was legally required to report the incident. 

“We haven’t been able to talk to the woman, and she hasn’t returned our calls,” Officer Galvan said. 

According to the nurse’s report, the woman had just made it into the restroom when she collapsed, waking up to find that she was being raped. She was not able to give a clear description of her assailant, Harrison reported. 

“We would be happy to talk to her anonymously, to meet her in a parking lot or in any other way she would like. It is important that we get all the information we can so we can prevent further attacks,” he said. 

Chief Harrison urged students to protect themselves against so-called “date rape drugs” by refusing drinks from strangers, taking beverages only from bartenders when in a club, watching drinks closely, and taking drinks elsewhere only from sealed cans and containers. 

Another warning sign is when a fellow drinker reports feeling far more intoxicated than would be justified by the small amount of liquor consumed. 

Harrison urged anyone with information about the attacks to call the Berkeley Police Department at 981-5900.