Equipped with a U-Haul truck, the man allegedly stole sofas, refrigerators, electronic scooters, and bicycles, with some of the burglaries occurring after he’d already been arrested in an earlier spree.
BERKELEY — Police here say that an East Bay burglary suspect was targeting people’s homes — and taking things to the next level, cleaning out apartment furniture, refrigerators, and more.
In two felony cases filed within 11 days of each other, Alameda County prosecutors charged a 41-year-old Oakland man with two burglary sprees in Berkeley. One, in August and September, targeted local apartments, where he allegedly stole “refrigerators, couches and tables,” loading them into a U-Haul truck, according to police.
The second spree occurred on the UC Berkeley campus, where he allegedly stole electronic scooters and bicycles, some worth as much as $4,000. In these November incidents, he allegedly illegally entered bike cages at university dormitories.
The man was arrested on Nov. 29, and police seized a U-Haul truck full of suspected stolen merchandise, including furniture, according to court records. He was charged with two separate felony complaints in December, but quickly posted $160,000 bail and was released, records show.
The man pleaded not guilty in one case on Jan. 14, then returned to court to enter a second not guilty plea in the other case the following day, according to court records. He was on probation for a residential burglary conviction at the time of his arrest, authorities said.