BERKELEY (KRON) — In the East Bay, a violent burglary in Berkeley is a major cause of concern for residents.
That’s because it’s been a couple of weeks and the burglar is still out there.
The suspect knocks on the door and when no one answers, he enters the home through an open window
“I heard about it on nextdoor but honestly I thought it was a hoax,” said Berkeley resident Heather Way.
It happened back on Nov. 22 around 1:30 p.m. on Lincoln Street near McGee Avenue in north Berkeley.
Now Berkeley police are asking or the community’s help to track down the suspect.
“This is definitely an unusual crime for us, something like this where someone is home and the suspect enters during the day time,” said Berkeley Police Department Spokesperson Byron White.
The fact that the burglar became violent with the female occupant of the home is also alarming, White said.
“This person claimed to be a handyman, working for the landlord and needed to be shown around the place. She starts to show him around the place and that’s when he attacked her. He ended up taking money. Locked her in one of the rooms. Then he left,” he said.
The incident has rattled nerves of some residents in the quiet north Berkeley neighborhood.
“We’ve had small burglaries but nothing aggravated,” said resident Evan Jones.
One resident said it doesn’t impact how much she likes her neighborhood.
“I suppose I will be more vigilant but I don’t know that it really impacts the way I feel about my neighborhood. I feel like my neighborhood is safe. This is just an outlying incident,” Way said.
Berkeley police have a limited description of the burglary suspect
“We do have some good leads If anyone has information about this crime they should let us know,” White said.