Berkeley police warn auto thieves are ‘willing to commit violence’

Berkeley police officials issued a warning to the public about what they said was the rising prevalence of armed lookouts accompanying thieves stealing vehicles or the valuables inside them.

Berkeley Police Department Deputy Chief Jen Tate noted what she described as a trend in a recent meeting with the Police Accountability Board, urging community members to call the police instead of engaging with suspects.

In one incident, in late March, a Berkeley resident confronted a suspect who had tried to steal his vehicle while it was parked on the 1800 block of Walnut Street at 3 a.m., officials said.

After the suspects got into a black sedan to flee, the resident struck the back of the car with a baseball bat, officials said. The sedan stopped and one suspect fired five shots at the victim, who was in his 60s. The suspects drove away and no injuries were reported.

In another incident, on March 7 at 5:15 a.m., a Berkeley resident woke to the sound of loud sawing outside his window, and after he went outside he heard a gunshot. No one was struck, but the resident’s catalytic converter was stolen, officials said.

“We are seeing a trend where the suspects who commit property crimes might also be armed and willing to commit violence,” said Berkeley police spokesperson Byron White. “We want the community to call the police. … We want the community to remain safe.”

Berkeley police have reported at least 395 incidents of stolen vehicles so far in 2024, up 4% from 2023, according to the department’s crime data.

Across the Bay Area, police departments have reported incidents of catalytic converter thefts turning into shoot-outs. In some cases, victims were wounded from gunfire.

Last year Sunnyvale police said a man was shot in the leg while confronting catalytic converter thieves in his driveway. The suspects fled, officials said.

A 12-year-old child was shot and wounded in Oakland in 2021 after an individual threw a chair at suspects trying to steal a catalytic converter from their vehicle. The suspects fired shots at the person and the child, who was taken to the hospital for injuries.