Features

Purse snatch  

On Tuesday at 6:50 p.m., a 36-year-old woman called in to report that she had been robbed by a man from behind as she was walking east on Oregon Street from Shattuck Avenue after shopping at Walgreens. She reported that two arms came over her shoulders and neck and grabbed her back. The suspect fled with her purse, wallet, driver's license, REI Gift Card, and credit cards. As the suspect escaped, he pulled the woman backwards and knocked her to the sidewalk. No suspects have been identified.  

Jack-in-the-Box robbery  

On Monday at 7:55 p.m., a 31-year-old Berkeley man called in to report that he had been robbed of cash and an identification card. He was walking to the Jack-in-the-Box fast-food outlet on the 2100 block of San Pablo Avenue, when three teenagers surrounded him. One took hold of his arm and the others went through his jacket pockets. After the incident, the three young men casually walked north on San Pablo and one threw a bottle in the direction of the male victim. 

Another purse stolen  

On Monday afternoon, just before 1 p.m., a 69-year-old Berkeley woman called in to report that she had been robbed of her purse, diabetes test kit, two bottles of medication, insulin, cash, and some identification cards. She was walking westbound on Russell Street at Milvia, when she felt somebody pulling on her purse. The man ran eastbound on Russell; the woman chased him on foot. The man hopped on an old 10-speed bicycle propped up against a telephone pole at Adeline Street and Russell and fled westbound on Oregon Street.  

Frat arson 

On Monday morning, between 1:30-2 a.m., the fraternity president of Phi Gamma Delta, located at 2395 Piedmont Ave., called to report a fire in front of the garage. The perpetrator threw a Molotov cocktail at the garage, causing fire damage to the exterior. After extinguishing the fire, the Berkeley Fire Department and the Berkeley Police Department patrol team found shattered glass and the bottleneck of a beverage bottle next to the exterior. They have no suspects.