Three robberies were reported in Berkeley in the past week, including one in South Berkeley, one in North Berkeley and one in West Berkeley, according to a Nixle alert released by Berkeley Police Department on Monday afternoon.
On Thursday about 9 p.m., a man walking on the 2700 block of Fulton Street was approached from behind by two suspects who grabbed a cell phone from the victim’s hands and attempted to take his backpack, the alert said. The victim held onto his backpack as the suspects knocked him to the ground and proceeded to punch and kick him in an effort to get him to let go of the backpack.
A vehicle pulled up moments later, into which the suspects got inside and drove away. The alert described the suspects as two Black men in their 20s. One suspect was described as having dreadlocks and dark clothes, while the other was described as having a thin build and wearing a lighter-colored jacket and white shoes. The victim, 27, suffered pain and bruising from the robbery, though the alert said he did not want emergency medical assistance.
In a separate incident Friday morning, a woman was walking into La Quinta Inn, located at 920 University Ave., at 7:44 a.m. when a suspect approached her from behind and grabbed her purse. The suspect fled in a waiting vehicle parked on University Avenue, according to the alert. The vehicle sped off and later hit another vehicle at the intersection of Eighth and Cedar streets.
Witnesses described the suspect as a Black male dressed in dark-colored clothing. The victim, 51, suffered cuts and bruising from falling after the robbery but did not want emergency medical assistance, according to the alert.
In another incident Friday at 4:30 p.m., a bicyclist stopped at the westbound traffic light of Hearst Avenue and Milvia Street was approached by a suspect and knocked to the ground. The suspect proceeded to ride away on the victim’s rented Ford GoBike. The suspect, described by witnesses as a 6′ tall male dressed in a black hooded sweatshirt and light blue jeans, was last seen riding westbound on Hearst Avenue.
