Gun, meth seized in Berkeley car stop; 6 kids were also in the car

A mother and father have been charged with child abuse and multiple gun crimes after being stopped by a police officer in South Berkeley last weekend, according to court records and the Berkeley Police Department.

On Saturday, Nov. 5, a Berkeley police officer stopped a silver 2004 Cadillac Escalade shortly before 4:20 a.m. near Ashby Avenue and Adeline Street.

Jasmine Glasper. Berkeley Police Department

While speaking to the driver, 32-year-old Jasmine Glasper (no address), the officer noticed a glass methamphetamine pipe in a small cubby beneath the stereo, police said.

Officers searched Glasper and the man in the passenger seat, 28-year-old Victor Malaki (no address). They found methamphetamine in Malaki's pockets, according to BPD.

Police said they also found a loaded handgun in the front passenger floorboard area of the Escalade. In the sun visor area, they found more methamphetamine, BPD said.

Officers also found six children, ages 1 to 11, in the backseat of the car, Berkeley police told The Berkeley Scanner. BPD identified Glasper and Malaki as their parents.

"The children were noticeably dirty and did not appear to have been cared for," according to BPD. None were in car seats or wearing seatbelts, BPD said.

All of the children were taken to Alameda County Child Protective Services.

The parents were arrested and have since been charged with four felonies: child abuse, possession of a controlled substance with a firearm, carrying a concealed firearm within a vehicle and carrying a loaded firearm in a city, according to court records.

Victor Malaki. Berkeley Police Department

The charges include special allegations that the gun was loaded and unregistered.

Glasper has no prior criminal charges listed in Alameda County, according to online court records reviewed by The Scanner.

Malaki had been charged only once, in 2021, with being a fugitive from justice, court records show.

But that case was dismissed in April 2021 in response to a motion by the district attorney's office.

Malaki was, however, arrested recently when he broke into Lumpy’s Diner in Antioch on Oct. 21, according to police and East County Today.

The news site reported that an alarm system had alerted Lumpy's owner to the break-in. The owner showed up and interrupted the burglary.

The burglar fled from the diner, leaving cash scattered all over the floor, East County Today reported. The owner of the diner chased Malaki down and police arrested him nearby.

Neither Glasper nor Malaki are in custody as of Friday.

They are scheduled to enter pleas in the case Dec. 13 at Wiley Manuel Courthouse in Oakland, according to court records.

Berkeley police found loaded guns on 3 car stops in 24 hours

Later on Saturday, police found a loaded gun in the truck of a man they say had passed out while driving under the influence on Adeline Street at Alcatraz Avenue.

And, less than 24 hours before that arrest, police found a loaded gun during a car stop at Acton Street and Ashby Avenue.

Lashay Brown. Berkeley Police Department

During that stop, which had taken place shortly before 8 p.m. Friday, Nov. 4, an officer had smelled burnt marijuana while speaking with the driver, 26-year-old Lashay Brown of Oakland, BPD said.

Officers searched Brown's 2007 Infinity sedan and found a loaded handgun as well as more than 30 grams of marijuana, two digital scales and packaging, according to Berkeley police.

Brown was arrested and ultimately charged by the Alameda County district attorney's office with two felonies: carrying a concealed, loaded firearm in a vehicle and carrying a loaded, unregistered firearm in a city, according to court records.

She is no longer in custody and has no prior criminal cases listed in Alameda County.

Brown is scheduled for an attorney-and-plea hearing Nov. 30, according to court records online.