Berkeley Attempted Rape Suspect Charged

BERKELEY, CA — A quick-thinking robbery victim helped lead authorities to a suspect who has since been charged in a separate case with attempted rape in connection with an incident that occurred almost nine months ago, the Berkeley Police Department said in a statement.

A 43-year-old Antelope (Sacramento County) man who was arrested earlier this year on unrelated charges has been identified as the suspect in the attempted rape case according to police.

The suspect was already in custody when DNA evidence came in linking him to the Sept. 27 attack, police said.

A woman in her 20s identified as the victim was held at gunpoint and suffered injuries during the attack, police said.

The Alameda County District Attorney’s Office has charged the suspect with attempted rape, robbery, burglary and assault among other crimes according to police.

The suspect remained in custody as of Tuesday morning, police said.

The attempted rape occurred in the early morning hours on Sept. 27 during a home invasion burglary in the 2400 block of Warring Street according to police.

The woman was asleep in bed when the suspect woke her up and pointed a gun at her face, police said.

The suspect pulled back the covers and made a motion as if he was going to jump into bed with the woman and told her to keep quiet, police said.

The suspect repeatedly struck the woman in the head with an object when she tried to leave before she could finally escape, police said.

Officers at around 12:45 a.m. responded to the building to reports of a woman heard screaming, police said.

The woman suffered multiple injuries that required five stitches to her face and eight staples to the top of her head, police said.

The suspect got away with multiple electronics devices and personal items according to police.

“Although the suspect was gone when officers arrived, officers were able to collect evidence at the scene that would eventually be instrumental in the suspect’s identification,” Officer Byron White said.

A robbery victim held at gunpoint by the suspect on Jan. 8 in Berkeley incident was able to get the suspect’s license plate number, which authorities used to issue a “wanted felony stop” alert on the vehicle, police said.

The alert led to the suspect’s arrest five days later in San Pablo on suspicion of possession of a stolen vehicle among other charges according to police.

Investigators obtained a warrant and conducted a search of the suspect’s vehicle in which they discovered stolen property from various locations in Berkeley, including mail from the attempted rape victim’s apartment building, police said.

The evidence obtained also linked the suspect to multiple robberies and burglaries in the South Campus area, police said.

The suspect was in custody on the robbery and burglary cases when DNA collected matched evidence recovered in the home invasion, police said.

The FBI along with multiple law enforcement agencies throughout the Bay Area contributed to the investigation of this case according to police.