Vehicle Stolen From The Grove Park Area In City Of Berkeley

Press release from City of Berkeley:

June 23, 2021

Berkeley, California (Wednesday, June 23, 2021) - On June 19th around 5:30 pm, a man was playing basketball at Grove Park and had his vehicle’s keys and other personal belongings on the ground nearby. Shortly thereafter, the man discovered that his belongings had been taken and also that his SUV was stolen as well.

As officers began their investigation, they learned that the man had hidden his cellphone underneath some clothing inside the rear trunk area of his stolen SUV. Unbeknownst to the thieves, the cellphone was actively pinging/tracking at Pleasanton Mall near the Macy’s. When officers spoke with Pleasanton PD, they learned that the stolen SUV had been used in a grand theft from Macy’s. During that incident, Pleasanton PD were able to obtain photos of the suspects and the suspect vehicle.

With photos of the suspects as well as the ability to track the stolen vehicle, officers tracked the vehicle to the 2200 block of 35th Avenue in Oakland, CA—where they found the vehicle parked near a local market. When officers walked inside the market, they found the suspects inside and arrested them.

Inside the stolen vehicle, officers found the man’s stolen belongings as well as the items stolen from the Macy’s in Pleasanton PD. The suspects (a 25-year-old Pittsburg man and a 19-year-old Berkeley man) were arrested on suspicion of vehicle theft and possession of stolen property.

Beginning in early May, officers have noticed a pattern of vehicles being stolen in the area of Grove Park. In many of these cases, the suspects are accomplishing this by taking the car keys from people at Grove Park who set their personal items down while they engage in recreational activities.

This press release was produced by City of Berkeley. The views expressed here are the author’s own.