The following is a summary of criminal activity in El Cerrito between November 19 – December 2 according to the El Cerrito Police Department.
The following is a summary of criminal activity in El Cerrito. It does not include all crimes in the El Cerrito Police Calls. 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.
El Cerrito Police Calls:
November 19th
Stolen Vehicle / Evading – Ashbury Ave / Central Ave:
At 7:28 AM a stolen vehicle hit was received on the Flock camera near Ashbury Ave at Central Ave. The vehicle was stolen out of Antioch on 10/18/2023.
At 7:34 AM an officer located the vehicle as it turned from Ashbury on to Moeser. A traffic stop was attempted on Richmond St at Schmidt Ln, but the vehicle failed to yield and a pursuit was initiated. The pursuit went on to westbound I-80 and into Oakland. Officers terminated the pursuit when the suspect vehicle drove at unsafe speeds on Oakland city streets.
Recovered Stolen Vehicle – 10760 San Pablo Ave:
At 11:55 AM an officer recovered a stolen vehicle reported to Oakland PD on 11/10/2023.
Attempt Vehicle Theft – 7000 block of Gladys Ave:
At 2:24 PM officers were dispatched to a report of two juveniles who broke into a vehicle and tampered with the ignition. An officer located the juveniles nearby and detained them. An officer contacted the victim and determined nobody actually saw the juveniles in the vehicle, but saw them running away from the vehicle with its window shattered. The detained juveniles claimed there was a third subject with them who tried to steal the car, and they ran away as soon as they realized what was going on.
November 20th
Residential Burglary – El Cerrito Plaza
At approximately 10:05 AM Officers report a male was captured on surveillance cameras taking a bicycle and stroller from a shared garage area. A suspect was contacted on the BART Path with the items. The suspect was placed under arrest, booked at the El Cerrito Police Department and transported to MDF on the charges.
Vandalism – 100 block of Ashbury Ave
At approximately 2:17 PM Officers report a suspect broke the rear passenger side window of the victim’s vehicle. The suspect did not take anything from inside of the vehicle.
Petty Theft – 11555 San Pablo Ave
At approximately 1:51 PM Officers report a suspect entered the store with two other females and grabbed handfuls of clothing and fled.
Fraud – 11755 San Pablo Ave
On 11/05/23 at approximately 3:00 PM a suspect purchased a vehicle from Honda. Today, the Manager of Honda received a call from Alameda County alerting him that the vehicle had been purchased using a fraudulent ID.
Preventing 911 call – 11600 block of San Pablo Ave.
At 7:17 PM the victim reports she was in a verbal argument with a friend. When she attempted to call 911, the suspect took the phone from the victim. The victim got her phone back from the suspect and went inside her residence. The suspect fled prior to police arrival.
Drug Paraphernalia / No License – Cutting Blvd / Arlington Blvd.
At 11:02 PM officers conducted a suspicious vehicle check. The driver was arrested for drug paraphernalia and no license. The driver was released at the scene on a citation and a licensed driver took possession of the vehicle.
Driving Under the Influence / Warrant Arrest – San Pablo Ave / Wall St.
At 1:55 AM officers conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle. A DUI investigation was conducted, and the driver was determined to be under the influence. The driver also had a DUI warrant out of Marin County. The driver was arrested and cited for the DUI charges in El Cerrito and transported to county jail on the warrant.
Warrant Arrest / Recovered Stolen Property – I-80 westbound / Central Ave offramp.
At 4:32 AM officers conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle for one lost or stolen plate. The driver had an outstanding misdemeanor warrant for his arrest. The stolen license plate was recovered, and the driver was field cited on the warrant and released at the scene.
Shoplifting – 11450 San Pablo Ave (Safeway).
At 5:06 AM officers were dispatched to a shoplifting in progress. The suspect concealed items in a purse and fled the store prior to police arrival.
November 21st
Fraud – 1700 block of Manor Circle
At approximately 10:49 AM officers report the victim discovered a suspect attempted to withdraw money out of his Charles Schwab account.
Vandalism – 1800 block of Ganges Ave
At approximately 10:52 AM officers report the front driver’s side window of the victim’s vehicle was broken.
Mail Theft – 5200 block of School Street
At approximately 1:36 PM Officers report the victim noticed a check was missing from their mail.
Grand Theft – 430 El Cerrito Plaza
At approximately 4:39 PM officers report three suspects entered the store and stole merchandise and then fled the area.
November 22nd
Recovered Stolen Vehicle – 1537 S 56th Street
At approximately 8:45 AM officers recovered a stolen company vehicle after it was located in Oakland by an employee and driven back to El Cerrito.
Battery – 10203 San Pablo Ave
At approximately 10:41 AM officers report the suspect assaulted the victim by grabbing and pulling on their arm.
Organized Retail Theft – 10754 San Pablo Ave
At approximately 11:56 AM officers report three suspects entered the store and stole misc. items. Two female suspects were detained at their vehicle while a third suspect ran south through the parking lot. The driver and the passenger were placed under arrest. They were cited and released from the scene.
Stolen License Plate – 800 Block of S 55th Street
At approximately 12:42 PM officers report the rear license plate was stolen off the victim’s vehicle.
Organized Retail Theft/Grand Theft/Conspiracy – 430 El Cerrito Plaza (Foot Locker)
At approximately 3:06 PM officers report three suspects entered the store, stole merchandise, and fled the scene.
November 23rd
Robbery/Assault – 11450 San Pablo Ave (Safeway)
At approximately 4:13 PM officers were dispatched to Safeway in response to a Robbery. Officers arrived and placed a suspect under arrest after he attempted to exit the store with bags of items and attempted to strike security with a frying pan twice. The suspect was placed under arrest and transported to Martinez Detention Facility.
Mail Theft – 11600 block of San Pablo Ave.
At 7:06 PM the suspect entered the complex and stole mail. The suspect fled prior to police arrival.
November 24th
Recovered Stolen Vehicle – Wall Ave / San Pablo Ave:
At 8:31 AM an officer recovered a vehicle reported stolen to Richmond PD on 11/24, after the victim located his own vehicle. Released to owner at scene.
Organized Retail Theft- 10794 San Pablo Ave (Marshalls):
At 6:48 PM an officer reports three subjects worked together and stole merchandise.
Stolen Vehicle- IFO 5000 El Cerrito Plaza:
An officer reports an unknown suspect stole the victim’s vehicle. A check of the Flock cameras showed the vehicle leaving the city at 6:51 PM.
DUI- San Pablo Ave/ El Dorado St:
Around 12:37 AM an officer noticed a vehicle travelling on the wrong side of the road. The officer conducted a traffic enforcement stop on the vehicle. During the initial contact, the officer noticed an odor of an alcohol beverage coming from the driver. The officer conducted a DUI investigation and determined the driver was under the influence. The driver was placed under arrest and transported to the ECPD for booking. After booking, the driver was issued a citation and released to a relative.
Residential Burglary – 1900 Block of Ganges Ave:
At 2:44 AM an officer reports the suspect entered the victim’s unlocked vehicle and located the garage door opener. The suspect rummaged through several boxes in the garage but did not take anything.
November 25th
Petty Theft – 1800 block of Key Blvd:
At 10:22 AM, an officer reports an unidentified suspect entered an unlocked vehicle sometime overnight and stole property from inside.
Organized Retail Theft – 10794 San Pablo Ave (Marshall’s):
At 2:37 PM four suspects stole merchandise and fled through the south emergency exit door.
Stolen Vehicle- 5600 Block of Ludwig:
At 7:34 PM an officer reports an unknown suspect stole the victim’s vehicle.
November 26th
Vehicle Theft – 1700 block of Arlington Blvd:
A vehicle was stolen by an unidentified suspect sometime overnight.
Residential Burglary – 1700 block of Liberty St:
An unidentified suspect entered the secured apartment building, then entered a locked storage area by unknown means around 3:00 AM, as recorded on surveillance video, and stole property.
Petty Theft- 2500 Block of Mira Vista Dr:
At 6:23 PM an officer reports an unknown suspect stole the license plate from the victim’s vehicle.
Shoplift- 2000 El Cerrito Plaza (Ross):
At 7:14 AM an officer reports an unknown suspect filled up a duffle bag with a large quantity of merchandise and fled the store without paying.
Attempt Residential Burglary:
At 4:14 AM, an officer reports an unknown suspect shattered a window of the victim’s residence and pulled on it. The suspect did not make entry into the residence.
November 27th
Petty Theft – 6800 block of Tahoe Pl:
An unidentified suspect entered an unlocked vehicle and stole property between 2:00 PM on 11/23 and 3:00 PM on 11/26.
Bomb Threat – 7150 Portola Dr (Invictus Academy):
At 8:44 AM school staff heard a voice on their handheld school radios that said “There’s going to be a bomb”. Officers assisted with a walk through of the campus at the request of staff, and school administrators placed the campus on a “soft lockdown”. Administrators elected to keep the campus open and notify parents of the lockdown.
Theft by False Pretenses – 10900 San Pablo Ave:
A CSO took a lobby report for the victim, who was swindled out of money by an online dating app cryptocurrency scheme.
Organized Retail Theft– 430 El Cerrito Plaza (Footlocker):
At 1:54 PM five unidentified suspects entered Footlocker together. Two of the suspects collected merchandise, then all five left together. The suspects stole the clothing and fled.
Battery on an Officer/Disobeying an Officer- San Pablo Ave/ Cypress Ave:
At 7:59 PM an officer conducted a traffic enforcement stop on a vehicle after observing a vehicle code violation. The officer issued the driver a citation, but she refused to sign the citation. A sergeant responded to the scene and explained the process to the driver and gave her an opportunity to sign the citation. The driver continued to refuse to sign the citation. The driver was advised she would be taken into custody and asked to step out of the vehicle. The driver refused to exit the vehicle. As officers were physically escorting the driver out of the vehicle, she threatened to kick one of the officers and began flailing her arms and legs. During the process, officers suffered minor injuries. The driver was transported to the ECPD for booking. After booking the driver was transported to the Martinez Detention Facility.
Theft by False Pretense- 3000 Block of Yolo Ave:
At 10:45 PM an officer reports the victim was contacted by a subject she believed was her friend via Facebook to send them money. The victim later discovered account did not belong to her friend.
November 28th
Attempted Stolen Vehicle – 7600 block of Leviston Ave.
At 9:41 AM the victim reports that an unknown suspect entered their unlocked vehicle and damaged the steering column in an attempt to steal the vehicle.
Battery – Hill St / San Pablo Ave.
At 8:37 PM the victim was assaulted. The suspect fled the scene prior to police arrival. The victim did not want to press charges against the suspect.
Criminal Threats / False Info to Police – 10636 San Pablo Ave (24hr Fitness).
At 4:17 AM the victim entered the sauna and asked another patron to turn down their music. The suspect then threatened to assault the victim. The suspect then provided a false name to the police. The suspect was arrested on both charges and brought back to ECPD. The suspect was cited and released from ECPD.
November 29th
Grand Theft – 1300 block of Contra Costa Dr.
At 1:35 PM the elderly victim was conned out of money after a suspect called her to report the victim’s grandson had been arrested following a traffic collision.
Possession of Stolen Property/Trespassing/Warrant Arrest – 2000 block of Junction Ave.
At 1:06 PM a suspect was arrested after he was found squatting in a vacant house. There was mail found in the house, that did not belong to the suspect. The suspect also had a warrant for his arrest for burglary from Davis PD. The suspect was booked at the police station and transported to the Martinez Detention Facility.
Grand Theft – Waldo Ave and San Pablo Ave.
At 3:30PM the suspect engaged in conversation with the victim, hugged her and took a piece of the victim’s jewelry.
Warrant Arrest – San Pablo Ave / Wall Ave.
At 6:47 PM officers responded to a collision. One of the drivers had a misdemeanor warrant for his arrest. The driver was arrested and transported to county jail.
Warrant Arrest – S. 55th St / Potrero Ave.
At 11:51 PM officers conducted a pedestrian stop on a bicyclist. The subject had a misdemeanor warrant for his arrest. The subject was issued a citation and release at the scene with a new court date.
November 30th
Armed Robbery – Ohlone Greenway at Hill St.
At 12:55 PM the victim was approached by two suspects while walking on the Ohlone Greenway. The suspects punched the victim, threw him to the ground, and held a knife to his back. The suspects stole the victim’s wallet and fled the scene.
Possession of Narcotics – Plaza BART station.
At 9:45 PM officers conducted a pedestrian stop on a subject suspected of stealing items from Ross. During a probation search of the subject, he was found in possession of suspected methamphetamine. The subject was issued a citation in the field and released.
Recovered Stolen Vehicle – I-80 Eastbound offramp at Potrero Ave.
At 12:09 AM officers located a stolen vehicle on the offramp. The vehicle was reported stolen out of Vallejo PD in an armed carjacking.
December 1st
Vehicle Theft – 11780 San Pablo Ave:
The victim reported to an officer their was stolen sometime overnight.
Vehicle Burglary – 1700 block of Julian Ct:
An unidentified suspect burglarized a vehicle parked at this location sometime overnight.
Burglary – 1400 block of Vista Rd:
An unidentified suspect unsuccessfully attempted to force entry to the residence at approximately 4:30 AM. The suspect then entered an unlocked vehicle and stole items from an unlocked shed.
Commercial Burglary- 10636 San Pablo Ave (24 Hour Fitness):
At 8:31 PM an officer reports the victims secured their property in one of the lockers and went to work out. Upon their return they discovered the lock to their locker was cut off and their property was missing. Several of the victim’s credit cards were used fraudulently in another city.
December 2nd
Grand Theft– 225 El Cerrito Plaza (Trader Joe’s):
At 10:06 AM an officer took a lobby report of a theft of a wallet from the victim’s purse while she was shopping at Trader Joe’s on November 30th.
Skimming Device – 9950 San Pablo Ave (Chase Bank):
At 12:59 PM Chase Bank located skimming devices on two ATMs after a customer reported wires sticking out. It was unknown when the ATMs were last serviced or how long ago the skimmers had been in place.
Previous El Cerrito Police Calls:
