Police Seeking Suspects in Two Strong-Arm Berkeley Robberies

There were two strong-arm robberies in the same part of Berkeley within a six-minute period Thursday, police said.

University of California police said the first incident involved a man who was walking in the vicinity of Parker Street and College Avenue at about 12:42 a.m. when he saw four males walking towards him.

One of the suspects punched the victim in the face and the others went through his pockets, according to police. The suspects took the victim’s cell phone and wallet and the victim suffered minor injuries, police said.

It isn’t yet known if the victim was a UC Berkeley student, according to police.

Both UC and Berkeley police searched the area but were unable to find the suspects. Police described one of the suspects as a black male who is about 19 years old and about 5-foot-7 who was wearing a blue or gray sweatshirt.

Police said they didn’t have detailed descriptions of the other three suspects.

The second incident involved a 19-year-old male student who was walking on Warring Avenue just north of Parker Street, adjacent to UC Berkeley’s Clark Kerr campus, at about 12:48 a.m. when four males approached him, surrounded him and demanded his cellphone, police said.

The victim complied and the suspects left the area with his phone, according to police. The victim wasn’t injured during the encounter.

Police described one of the suspects as a black male who is about 19 years old who is 5-foot-7 to 5-foot-10, about 165 pounds and was wearing a black hooded sweatshirt. They provided similar descriptions for the other three suspects, saying they are all black males about 19 years old whose height is in the range of 5-foot-7 to 5-foot-10 and whose weight is about 165 pounds and were wearing black hooded sweatshirts.

But police said the other three suspects are also described as having cropped haircuts.

Authorities said anyone with information about the robberies should call Berkeley police at (510) 981-5900.

--Bay City News; Image Patch Archive

Also on Patch:

• Sabra Recalls Hummus Over Listeria Contamination
• Pair Steals Baby Formula From Pleasanton Safeway, Lead Officers on High Speed Chase
• Local Homicide Suspects Arrested in Oregon
• New BART Website Helps You Find Destinations Near Stations
• Drought Worsens West Nile Virus