Berkeley police arrest 2 people in connection with series of home invasions

By Jose Fabian

Berkeley police on Friday said two people suspected of targeting women for home invasions have been arrested.

The robberies and home invasions happened between Sept. 17 and Oct. 1 throughout the city, police said.

“These crimes primarily targeted women in their homes, causing significant concern throughout the community,” police said.

Detectives identified that the home invasions were not random but part of a pattern, police said. Either late at night or in the early morning, the suspect would confront the women in their bedrooms or living spaces, threaten them, and demand their belongings, police said.

On one occasion, the suspect threatened to shoot one of the residents, police said. The suspect would then leave the scene in a stolen vehicle, and through automated license plate readers, they learned that the suspect’s girlfriend would follow behind him while he drove the stolen vehicles.

Police said they eventually learned of multiple addresses connected with the suspects and served search warrants, recovering stolen items from at least two different robberies.

Then, on Oct. 9, police learned the suspect and his girlfriend were in Hayward and moved to arrest them. Officers found the suspect driving around 3:30 p.m. and tried to pull him over.

However, he refused to stop, crashed into several vehicles, and allegedly drove toward an officer, who had to jump out of the vehicle’s way, police said. He then ran from the scene and tried to carjack a bystander, but was arrested after a brief struggle, police said.

Officers also arrested his girlfriend, who was near the scene, police said.

The two face charges of home invasion, robbery, residential burglary, assault with a deadly weapon on a peace officer and attempted carjacking. Police said they also had outstanding warrants.