6 Robberies In North Campus Area Committed in Past Week

BERKELEY, CA — Berkeley police are encouraging North End campus residents to be more aware of their surroundings after six robberies have been reported in the area in the past week.

At about 11:30 p.m. last Saturday, a victim was sitting at a bus stop and using a laptop outside Cory Hall on Hearst Avenue when a suspect sat down momentarily beside him, then stood up, took out a gun and demanded his property, police said.

The victim complied and the suspect then fled, getting into the passenger seat of a waiting sedan that drove away north on Le Roy Avenue.

At about 10:30 p.m. Sunday, a victim was walking west on Le Conte Avenue toward his home when a suspect approached and demanded his property at gunpoint. The victim handed his backpack over to the suspect, who fled east on Le Conte, police said.

About 15 minutes later, a victim walking north on Le Roy Avenue toward Le Conte was approached by someone running south on the street. The victim said he saw a pistol in the hand of the suspect, who demanded his backpack and then continued running south, according to police.

At about 1 a.m. Wednesday, a victim was walking east on Ridge Road when a male suspect approached, pulled out a gun and ordered him to hand over his backpack. The suspect then fled west on Ridge Road.

The most recent robbery occurred at about 8:10 p.m. Wednesday in the 1900 block of Virginia Street, where a victim saw someone come out of a parked car as he walked past it, police said.

The suspect pulled out a gun as the victim approached the entrance to his home and demanded the victim's backpack. The victim complied and the suspect fled.

No arrests have been made in any of the cases and no injuries were reported.

Police are encouraging residents to pay attention to what is around them, to travel in large groups whenever possible, put your smartphone in your pocket while traveling on a road and to travel in well-lit, populated
areas whenever possible.

Anyone with information about the robberies is encouraged to call the Berkeley police robbery detail at (510) 981-5742.

— Bay City News; Image via Shutterstock