The Berkeley Scanner

Berkeley man sustains serious injuries in apartment fire A 911 caller reported "dark smoke" coming from the second-story window of the building on Colusa Avenue, BFD said.

A man was taken to the hospital with serious injuries this week after a fire broke out in his North Berkeley apartment near Solano Avenue, authorities report.

Man pronounced dead next to Ohlone Greenway in Berkeley His name has not been released.

A man was pronounced dead Thursday afternoon in North Berkeley after a passer-by noticed he might need help and asked authorities to check on him.

Berkeley names new interim director of police accountability Kathy Lee helped get the Police Accountability Board off the ground after overseeing the city's Police Review Commission for years.

The Berkeley mayor's office has just put forward retired city staffer Kathy Lee to run the Police Accountability Board on an interim basis.

UPDATE: Berkeley ceiling collapse sends woman to hospital UPDATE: Despite initial reports that the roof or entire building had collapsed, firefighters determined that only the ceiling was impacted.

UPDATE: Despite initial reports that the roof of a Berkeley building had caved in, trapping people Thursday morning — authorities later determined that only the ceiling had collapsed. We've updated our story with more details and photographs from the scene.

Berkeley roof collapse sends woman to hospital The building — which houses a check-cashing business — has been evacuated.

BREAKING: The roof of a two-story building partially collapsed in Berkeley on Thursday morning sending at least one woman to the hospital, authorities report. We are the first to report this news and are working to learn more.

Berkeley woman hit by driver while walking on Ashby Avenue She flew about 10 feet through the air as a result of the crash, according to early reports.

A driver struck a woman who was trying to cross Ashby Avenue on Wednesday night, sending her to the hospital with significant injuries, authorities report.

Berkeley sets March 9 deadline to leave Harrison encampment Eight people seeking disability accommodations are excluded from the order, which declares the Harrison Street corridor a "no-lodging area."

Berkeley has posted a new round of closure notices announcing an end to the city's last large homeless encampment, on Harrison Street. The notice sets March 9 as the "compliance deadline" for campers to leave.

Berkeley police: Home repair scam arrests tied to 6 cases "People have been calling all weekend," said Berkeley police spokesman Officer Byron White. "We know it's not just here that it's happening."

Authorities say they have linked two men and a teenage boy to at least six home repair scam reports in Berkeley in the past month alone. Police told us: "We know it's not just here that it's happening."

Berkeley police make arrests linked to home repair scams Authorities warned that other scammers who have been swindling seniors and their families remain at large.

Berkeley police arrested multiple individuals Monday on Solano Avenue in connection with ongoing home repair scams targeting local residents. But the investigation isn't over and residents should remain vigilant, BPD said.

Phong Tran case appears to totter as trial nears In recent weeks, the Alameda County district attorney's office said it would drop three of the four remaining charges. Now, that's on hold.

With the star witness missing in a high-profile misconduct case against a veteran Oakland homicide detective, prosecutors appear to be rethinking how to proceed.

It's possible! I'm still trying to get some details.

Man arrested after pointing replica gun at passing drivers In the end, Berkeley police determined that the weapon, which looked like a pistol, was actually a pellet gun, BPD said.

BREAKING: Police in Berkeley have arrested a man who was reported to be waving a gun at motorists on Sacramento Street on Saturday evening. Here's what we know.

Female burn victim found in Berkeley dies at hospital The investigation is ongoing. Limited details were available.

BREAKING: An unidentified woman found unresponsive today in Berkeley with extensive burns on her body was pronounced dead at the hospital Friday night, according to police and early reports.

Woman charged with attempted murder after Berkeley shooting No one was hurt, but police have still been working to close the case.

A woman who forced her way inside a Berkeley woman's apartment in January and repeatedly shot at her has now been charged with attempted murder, police report. No one was hurt, but police have still been working to close the case.

New hit-and-run crash sparks concerns at Zachary's Corner A UC Berkeley student spoke out this week after a hit-and-run driver struck her, causing lasting injuries, in one of Berkeley's high-injury corridors.

A UC Berkeley student spoke out forcefully this week after a hit-and-run driver struck her at Zachary's Corner — 17 years after a little boy was killed by a driver at the same intersection.

Local dad still unconscious after being hit in Berkeley crosswalk "He might wake up tomorrow or he might wake up in a month. It's hard to predict," his brother, Luis Soto, told The Scanner.

EXCLUSIVE: For Luis Soto, it all began with a mysterious voicemail from Highland Hospital saying his younger brother, Diego, might have been admitted. When he finally got through, the news was horrific. "I'm praying every day," he told us. "All the friends and family are praying for Diego."

Catalytic converter cache seized after Elmwood chase The driver refused to stop and ultimately dumped the car on Parkside Drive in The Uplands neighborhood, police said.

Berkeley police recovered 11 stolen catalytic converters from a car abandoned during a brief chase in the Claremont-Elmwood neighborhood early Thursday morning.

Driver charged after pedestrian crash with severe injuries The pedestrian underwent surgery this week, a family member told TBS. He has not opened his eyes since the crash.

EXCLUSIVE: A pedestrian remains in the hospital with severe injuries this week after a driver struck him in a South Berkeley crosswalk in mid-February, authorities report. Police say the driver was under the influence. Felony charges have been filed.

Suspects arrested after two-city commercial burglary spree The crew hit nine Alameda businesses overnight Monday after breaking into seven shops in Berkeley, authorities said this week.

Police have arrested suspects linked to a burglary spree spanning at least two East Bay cities this week. Here's what we know so far.

Burglary crew targets Berkeley cafes, including original Peet's Other businesses included Berkeley Espresso, Helacio's Deli, two other coffee or tea shops, a noodle shop and a burger shop.

Berkeley police are investigating seven overnight break-ins that took place within just 30 minutes at local shops all over the city — including the original Peet's Coffee. Other businesses included Berkeley Espresso and Helacio's Deli.

Berkeley calls off Harrison homeless camp closure for now The city confirmed just before publication that no cleanup operation would take place this week at Eighth and Harrison.

BREAKING: On Monday, critics held a press conference to decry city plans to clear Berkeley's last big homeless camp this week. Now, the plan is off.

Bring news back to Albany: Help us raise $50,000 by April 30 All the money we raise in the "Bring News Back to Albany" campaign will go toward reporting and reporting alone.

Albany’s most vital stories currently go uncovered. Help us raise $50,000 by April 30 to fund Albany Scanner’s first reporter. We're ALL going to need to chip in to make daily news for Albany a reality. Join us!

A realistic plan to phase out RVs as shelter: Op-ed Capping the number of large vehicles being used as shelter in Berkeley will stop the growth and lead to longterm solutions, Amber Whitson argues.

OP-ED: Capping the number of large vehicles being used as shelter in Berkeley will stop the growth and lead to longterm solutions, Amber Whitson argues in our latest guest essay. Here's her plan. (Have your own guest essay idea? Let us know!)

Police: New hate crime case for suspect who 'trashed' lobby Dale Lipke had recently been released from jail on his own recognizance when he was arrested in Berkeley again.

A local homeless man has been charged with a late-night hate crime just weeks after wreaking havoc in a Berkeley apartment lobby, court papers show. Police say he followed a man for five blocks while repeatedly yelling and chanting the N-word.

'Shattered' forever: Family distraught over 8-year plea deal A 14-time felon with 10 separate prison stints already, Claudell Moore elected not to address the court during last week's hearing.

EXCLUSIVE: Heartbreaking interviews with the relatives of a Berkeley father whose killer will be free in just three years after a recent plea deal.

Man arrested after attempted rape of UC Berkeley student Police say Ahmad Lutfi, 34, lives in the apartment building near campus where the crimes took place.

A local man who sexually assaulted a UC Berkeley student in his building's laundry room on Valentine’s Day has been arrested, police report. The two were strangers, police said. Here's what we know.

Update: Missing UC Berkeley student found dead in Lake Anza The Indian embassy in San Francisco has confirmed that the body found Saturday was missing UC Berkeley student Saketh Sreenivasaiah.

UPDATE: The Indian embassy in San Francisco has confirmed that the body found Saturday in Lake Anza was missing UC Berkeley student Saketh Sreenivasaiah. He was just 22.

Body recovered from Lake Anza in Tilden Regional Park Authorities began working to locate the body earlier this week after UC Berkeley graduate student Saketh Sreenivasaiah went missing.

BREAKING: After a days-long search involving sonar, drones and divers, authorities recovered a body from Lake Anza on Saturday afternoon. No official identification has been made, but police have been looking for Saketh Sreenivasaiah, a missing UC Berkeley student.

Crew targets Berkeley woman, 89, with rooftop raccoon scam "I did nothing but shake for two days," the woman told TBS. "It finally came to me: My trust had been violated."

EXCLUSIVE: First, they offered to remove a raccoon from her roof. Then they demanded $1,600 to fix a hole from the job. A Berkeley woman, 89, shares her story.

Search continues for missing, at-risk UC Berkeley student Saketh Sreenivasaiah, 22, was reportedly depressed. He has been missing since Tuesday, Berkeley police said.

A search is underway near Lake Anza for a missing UC Berkeley student who disappeared Tuesday, according to police and community reports.