Full Notification

The following is a summary of criminal activity in El Cerrito. It does not include all crimes. It also does not include non-criminal events such as missing persons, traffic collisions, non-criminal deaths, non-criminal disputes, nor many other police activities that do not result in arrest.
 
November 16^th

DUI – San Pablo Ave. / Wall Ave.

At 9:43 pm, an officer was patrolling in the area when he noticed a vehicle travelling in the wrong direction of San Pablo Ave. The officer conducted a traffic enforcement stop and contacted the driver, a 21-year-old woman. The officer conducted a DUI investigation and determined the woman to be DUI and was arrested. After booking she was released from the El Cerrito Police Department to a friend with a citation.

Stolen Vehicle Pursuit – Cypress Ave. / Creely Ave.

At 2:35 am, an officer was patrolling in the area when he noticed a suspicious vehicle. The officer conducted a check of the license plate of the vehicle and discovered it was reported stolen to the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office. When the officer attempted to stop the vehicle, the vehicle fled and drove the wrong way up the freeway off-ramp; the pursuit was terminated due to public safety.

November 17^th

Shoplifting – CVS, 670 El Cerrito Plaza

At 9:22 pm, an officer accepted the Citizen’s Arrest of a 33-year-old woman after the woman was detained with a shopping cart full of merchandise which she had pushed out of the emergency exit. The woman was issued a citation and released on her written promise to appear.

Warrant Arrest – Carlson Blvd. / Columbia Ave.

At 1:46 am, an officer contacted a 33-year-old man during a traffic stop and learned he had a warrant for his arrest. The man was transported to the Martinez Detention Facility.

Commercial Burglary – 6300 block of Ohio St.

At 2:15 am, an officer reported 7 unknown suspects cut a chain link fence and damaged a roll up garage door in an attempt to gain access to a commercial property. No property loss was reported. 

November 18^th

Grand Theft – Ross, 11545 San Pablo Ave.

At 7:22 pm, an officer reported two unknown suspects entered the business and collectively stole over  $1000 in clothing and merchandise.

Shoplifting – Safeway, 11450 San Pablo Ave.

At 8:20 pm, an officer reported three unknown suspects entered the business and stole several bottles of alcohol from a display case.

November 19^th

Residential Burglary – 5700 block of Central Ave.

At approximately 3:00 am, unknown suspects entered the victims’ shared garage and stole over $3000.00 worth of gardening equipment. 

Shoplifting – Foot Locker, 430 El Cerrito Plaza

At 1:29 pm, officers responded to the business for a theft that just occurred.  The suspect stole approximately $1000.00 worth of merchandise and fled in a green minivan with no license plates.

Robbery (Strong Arm) – Lincoln Ave. at the BART Path

At 5:30 pm, the victim was walking home when the suspect ripped her purse from her arm and ran southbound on the BART path.

DUI Arrest – San Pablo Ave. at MacDonald Ave.

At approximately 5:25 pm, an officer was flagged down by a citizen at the Del Norte BART station regarding a hit-and-run that just occurred.  The officer witnessed the suspect vehicle driving erratically out of the BART parking lot and onto San Pablo Ave.  The officer conducted a traffic stop on the vehicle and learned that the driver, a 74 year old female from Richmond, showed objective signs of being under the influence of alcohol.  The female driver was uncooperative and very abrasive towards officers.  After further investigation, she was arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol.  The female was transported to the El Cerrito Police Department for booking and released with a citation to her adult relative.  BART PD could not locate any victims or witnesses for a hit-and-run. 

DUI Arrest – San Pablo Ave. at Central Ave.

At 6:49 pm, an officer reported that a BART PD Officer collided with another vehicle while responding to an emergency call. The other driver, a 71 year old male from Oakland, was determined to be driving under the influence of alcohol.

Shoplift – Ross, 2000 El Cerrito Plaza

At 7:16 pm, an officer reported that three unknown suspects stole merchandise from the business.

Vandalism – 6510 Gladys Ave.

At 9:15 pm, an officer reported that an unknown suspect threw a brick through the windshield of the victim’s vehicle between 2:00 pm -9:00 pm.

November 20^th

Vehicle Tampering, Possession of a stolen vehicle, Possession of Narcotics, Warrant Arrest – 11780 San Pablo Ave.

At 1:49 am, officers responded to the apartment complex for the report of a male trying the door handles on multiple vehicles. Officers arrived on scene and located a 41-year-old male from San Francisco. The caller identified the male as the person he saw trying car door handles. Officers located three vehicles in the parking lot that were ransacked. The vehicle the male arrived to the location in was reported stolen to the Dublin PD. During a search incident to arrest, the male was found to be in possession of fentanyl and methamphetamine. During a records check, officers discovered the male had three outstanding warrants out of Marin County. The male was transported to the Martinez Detention Facility.

Vandalism, Assault – Jack in the Box, 5920 Cutting Blvd.

At 2:39 am, an officer reported 5 suspects were in the drive-thru being difficult with employees and began calling them names through the intercom system. Employees refused to serve the group. Once at the drive-thru window, 3 female suspects exited the vehicle and begin punching and kicking the window. The drive-thru window was broken out. 1 suspect spit at the employees and tried to pepper spray them.
 
Warrant Arrest – 1300 block of Contra Costa Dr.

At 9:49 am, an El Cerrito police officer arrested a 56-year-old male for a warrant from East Bay Regional Parks Police Department (EBRP).  EBRP Detectives interviewed the suspect at ECPD and transported him to County Jail in Martinez.

Elder Abuse (Battery) – 10000 block of San Pablo Ave.

At 12:17 pm hours, an officer reported the suspect vehicle was leaving the Chase bank driveway onto San Pablo Ave., when the victim walked northbound on the sidewalk in front of the vehicle. The driver and victim got into a verbal argument.  After the argument, the suspect followed the victim, parked, exited her vehicle and physically assaulted the victim.  The victim suffered minor injuries but declined medical treatment. 

Attempted Theft and Brandishing of a Weapon – Lucky, 1000 El Cerrito Plaza

At 5:02 pm, a citizen prevented the suspect from exiting the store with a cart of unpaid merchandise.  The suspect brandished a kitchen knife at the citizen then fled towards Plaza BART. 

Vandalism – Ashbury Ave./Fairmount Ave.

At 6:03 pm, an officer reported that an unknown suspect shot a bb gun pellet into the rear window of the victim’s vehicle as he was driving eastbound on Fairmount Ave.

Vandalism – 6510 Gladys Ave.

At 6:07 pm, an officer reported that an unknown suspect shattered one of the window panels of the main doors at the Royale. The suspect probably used a slingshot to shoot a ball bearing at the window.
 
Robbery – Ross, 11545 San Pablo Ave.

At 7:00 pm, an officer reported that an unknown suspect stole items from Ross. As the suspect exited the business, Loss Prevention confronted the suspect. The suspect brandished a pocket knife at the employee before fleeing with $1200 worth of items.
 
November 21^st

Reported/Recovered Stolen Vehicle – Hotel Mira Vista Berkeley North (parking lot) 6009 Potrero Ave.

At approximately 10:26 am, an officer reported the victim left his vehicle's engine running with the doors unlocked overnight,.  The victim’s vehicle was equipped with GPS and was tracked to the area of Carlson Blvd at Hartnett Ave. in the City of Richmond.  El Cerrito police officers located the Lexus, unoccupied, in the 4700 block of Hartnett Ave. The vehicle was returned to the owner. 

Stolen Vehicle Report – 700 block of Midcrest Way

An officer reported an unknown suspect stole the victim’s vehicle overnight.