Parents Warned By Police To Watch For Repeat Offender

BERKELEY, CA — Berkeley Police have issued a rare warning for parents to watch out for a suspect who is known to harass children. William Turner, 36, of Berkeley is on probation and has been given a “stay away order” to avoid all parks and schools in Alameda County. Berkeley Police arrested him on Sept. 1 when an officer saw him near Berkeley High School and Berkeley City College, but Turner was released from custody — and not for the first time.

Turner was taken into custody on June 12 at the Tot Lot at Mcgee and Hearst Avenues, adjacent to the Ohlone Greenway in North Berkeley, after a report that he had tried to feed an unknown liquid to at least three children (one as young as one year old) without their parents' consent.

Officers were "immediately concerned with his unnatural focus on children," according to a police statement.

Following an emergency psychiatric detention, Turner was arrested for Annoying or Harassing a Child under 18 and Possession of Stolen Property. He later pleaded guilty to a lesser offense and was released.

Berkeley Police will continue to watch for Turner, but they're also asking the public to look out for children's safety. "The Berkeley Police Department shares this information in the hopes that families who visit our parks will remain vigilant for William Turner or any other person who may pose a threat to our community."

-Image via Berkeley Police

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