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.

February 28^th

Domestic Battery – 600 block of Lexington Ave. 
At 8:40 pm, an officer responded to the report of a domestic battery. The suspect had previously fled the scene.

March 1^st

Petty Theft – 3100 block of Yosemite Ave.
At 8:44 pm, an officer reports an unknown suspect removed yard equipment from the bed of the victim’s pickup sometime during the evening.

Shoplifting – 2000 El Cerrito Plaza, Ross
At 9:36 pm, an officer reports an unknown suspect entered the business and selected $400+ worth of merchandise; fled on foot towards the BART path.

Trespassing, Drunk in Public – 11821 San Pablo Ave, McDonalds

At 10:49 pm, an officer reports the Citizen’s Arrest of a 62-year-old man who was heavily intoxicated and refusing to leave the business. The man was later transported to the Martinez Detention Facility.

March 2^nd

Recovered Stolen Vehicle, Grand Theft – 5600 block of Poinsett Ave.

At 6:42 pm, an officer reports the victim located their stolen vehicle which had been reported stolen earlier that same day. When the victim went to drive home, they learned the catalytic converter had been stolen.

Petty Theft – 600 block of Albemarle St.

At 7:28 pm, an officer reports an unknown suspect entered the victim’s unlocked vehicle and removed vehicle insurance and registration paperwork.

Domestic Battery – 5800 block of Lassen St.

At 8:01 pm, an officer responded to the report of a domestic battery that had previously occurred.  The suspect was not on scene. 

March 3^rd

Unlawful Burning – Ohlone Greenway / Hill Street

At 7:10 pm, an officer reports an unknown suspect set fire to a mini-fridge which damaged the fridge and the grass around the appliance.
 
March 4^th
 
Grand Theft – 2300 block of Cedar St. 
 
An officer reports that an unknown suspect arranged to buy the victim’s bicycle for sale.  The suspect mailed a fraudulent check to the victim and tricked the victim into paying shipping costs to a fake company.   
 
March 5^th
 
Assault with a Deadly weapon – 9937 San Pablo Avenue (Crown Bar);

At 1:56 am officers were dispatched to the report of a fight in the area.  Officers located a subject who was bleeding and reported that he was involved in a fight inside the bar and someone hit him in the head with a beer bottle.  The suspect had fled prior to police arriving.  The victim was transported to the hospital by ambulance. 

Residential Burglary – 800 block of Everett St. 

Between 2/19 and 2/27, an unknown suspect stole the victim’s bicycle from their storage shed, sometime between 2/19 and 2/27.   

Battery on a Police Officer – 240 El Cerrito Plaza (Mel-O-Dee Bar);

At 10:05 pm officers were dispatched to the report of an unwanted subject refusing to leave the business.  The officers contacted the subject and while they were speaking to him, he turned and charged at one of the officers.  The officers grabbed onto the suspect and pulled him to the ground.  While on the ground the subject tried to kick the second officer.  The suspect was handcuffed, booked at ECPD, and then transported to the Martinez Detention Facility. 

March 6^th
 
Arson – Ohlone Greenway and Blake St., Knott Ave., and Wall Ave. 
 
An officer reports that an unknown suspect lit fire to various items while traveling northbound on the Ohlone Greenway. 
 
Arson – San Pablo Avenue between Ohio Avenue and Cutting Blvd.
 
At 7:36 pm officers were dispatched to the first of three fires to garbage and a dumpster at three different locations in this area.  No suspects were located.   
 
Brandishing a Firearm – 2000 block of Harper Street;
 
At 11:53 pm someone flagged down an officer on San Pablo Avenue about a brandishing that occurred at their house about four hours earlier.  This person had someone over their house that they knew casually.  That person said they were going to get something out of their car and when they opened the front door there were two people on the front porch pointing firearms at the resident.  The casual friend was trying to hold the door open while the victim was trying to close the door.  The victim was able to close the door with the friend and the suspects outside and they all fled the area. 
 
March 7^th
 
Grand Theft – 500 block of Balra Drive;

At 12:01 am an officer was sent to the report of a fraud case.  The victim reported that they received a telephone call from someone that identified themselves as a Police Officer and told the victim that they had missed a court date so they would have to pay $8000.00 or get arrested.  The victim wired $4500.00 to the suspect before she realized it was a scam. 
 
Vandalism, Possession of drug paraphernalia, Warrant arrest – 3160 Carlson Blvd. 

Officers were dispatched to the gas station after a subject was seen prying open the clothes donation bin on the property.  Officers detained a 38-year-old transient man and found that he had a warrant issued for his arrest and was also in possession of drug paraphernalia.  The man was arrested and transported to the Martinez Detention Facility.

Battery – 4050 El Cerrito Plaza (European Wax Center);

At 8:45 pm an officer was sent to the report of a victim being assaulted being by someone they had an ongoing dispute with.   The suspect punched the victim several times.   The suspect then fled the scene in a car. 

Criminal Threats – 800 block of Lexington Avenue;

At 9:58 pm, an officer was sent to the report of the victim receiving threatening text messages.

Grand Theft – 10900 block of San Pablo Avenue;

At 11:54 pm an officer was sent to the report that someone had just seen someone steal a catalytic converter from a vehicle parked in the parking lot.  The suspect fled the scene on a bicycle. 

March 8^th
 
Burglary – 525 Lexington Ave:

At 10:46 AM, an officer reports video was obtained of an unidentified suspect who entered the garage area of the apartment building by prying a wood vent and then reportedly broke into a car, although the vehicle could not be located and no victim called police.  The suspect continued their way into the apartment building by prying a metal door with an unknown tool and pried four mailboxes.

Possession of a Firearm on School Campus / Assault with a Deadly Weapon – 540 Ashbury Ave (El Cerrito High School):

At 11:19 AM, officers were dispatched to the El Cerrito High School regarding a fight.  One of the students used what appeared to be a firearm with an extended magazine as a striking implement during the fight.  The suspect fled campus.  Detectives obtained a warrant for the arrest of the suspect who is currently at large. 

Shoplift – 10650 San Pablo Ave (CVS):

At 4:06 PM, an officer reports an unidentified female suspect stole items and left without paying.

Vandalism – 1700 block of Liberty St:

At 7:15 PM, an officer reports a group of five unknown suspects arrived at the victim’s residence and began banging on the sliding glass door; the door was damaged as a result.
 
March 9^th
 
Shoplift – 11565 San Pablo Ave (Walgreen’s):

At 8:25 AM, an officer reports an unidentified suspect filled a black garbage bag with merchandise belonging to Walgreen’s and left without paying.

Recovered Stolen Vehicle – Lassen St / Santa Clara Ave:

At 7:53 AM, an officer located an unoccupied 2016 Honda Civic which was reported as stolen.

Shoplift – 11565 San Pablo Ave (Walgreen’s):

At 11:45 AM, an officer reports an unidentified suspect filled a plastic bag with merchandise belonging to Walgreen’s and left without paying.

Vehicle Theft – San Pablo Ave / Wall Ave:

At 2:02 PM, an officer reports a 2003 Ford E-350 van marked for a water heater repair service was stolen from the street between 1:30 and 1:50 PM on 3/9/2022 while the driver was servicing a water heater in the apartment building.

Vehicle Theft – Liberty St / Fairmount Ave:

At 4:38 PM, an officer reports the victim’s black 2000 Mazda B2500 pickup was stolen from the street between 6:00 AM and 3:45 PM on 3/9/2022.

Vandalism – 1200 block of Navellier St:

At 5:09 PM, an officer reports an unidentified suspect spray-painted graffiti on the victim’s stucco retaining wall sometime in the past week. 

March 10^th
 
Vandalism – 540 Ashbury Ave (El Cerrito High School):

At 10:10 AM, an officer reports the victim’s vehicle was keyed sometime between 1600-1800 hours on 3/7/2022. 

Shoplifting – 2000 El Cerrito Plaza (Ross):

At 2:10 PM, an officer reports an unidentified suspect selected merchandise and left without paying.  Last seen on a blue bicycle toward JoAnn.