Stolen Car Fished Out of Berkeley Aquatic Park Was Empty

A car found submerged in water at Berkeley's Aquatic Park this morning was determined to be empty. "Our greatest concern was that somebody was trapped inside the car," said Berkeley Police Sergeant Mary Kusmiss.

The Berkeley Police and Fire Departments were able to check the passenger compartment of the car before winching it out of the water, said Sgt. Kusmiss. Once the vehicle was on land, the trunk was pried open and also found to be empty, she said.

Berkeley Police received a call at about 7:33 a.m. this morning from a man who had pulled over to talk on the phone and noticed that the back end of a car was sticking out of the water, according to Sgt. Kusmiss.

The vehicle, a blue 1995 Nissan Maxima, was found to belong to a 60-year-old woman who lives in the Potrero Hill neighborhood of San Francisco. When San Francisco Police Department contacted the woman, she was surprised to hear that her car was not where she last parked it, said Sgt. Kusmiss.

It is still unknown how long the car was in the water before it was found. Police spoke with another person sitting in a car parked nearby, who said he had been there for about 45 minutes but hadn't seen anything suspicious, Sgt. Kusmiss said.

Police searched the surrounding area and didn't find anything suspicious. The submerged car attracted a lot of media attention because of initial concern that there was a link to the on-going search for nursing student Michelle Le, which has since been ruled out.

"Over the years we've had a couple of cars that have been in the water," said Sgt. Kusmiss. "Most often they're pushed in or driven poorly." Police are continuing to investigate whether the vehicle might have been used in another crime in the area.  

The car was taken to the Police Department's tow yard and is currently being examined.

If you have any information about this incident, please call Berkeley Police Department at (510) 981-5900.