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.
The Scanner broke the news of the arrests Monday after a local photographer, and frequent TBS contributor, happened upon them on Solano Avenue.
On Tuesday, Berkeley police said detectives are still actively working on the case — and that even more victims may be out there, including in other cities.
In mid-February, The Scanner was the first news outlet to report on the home repair scam when a crew targeted an 89-year-old Berkeley woman, telling her they could help her get rid of a (non-existent) raccoon on her roof.
Last week, Berkeley police put out a community advisory warning residents of ongoing scam reports that seemed to be linked to the same crew.
The alert prompted a wave of responses, authorities said Tuesday.
"People have been calling all weekend," said Berkeley police spokesman Officer Byron White. "We know it's not just here that it's happening."
In town, most of the cases to date took place in North Berkeley and the Berkeley Hills: on Jan. 31 in the 2300 block of Oak Street, on Feb. 16 in the 1800 block of Thousand Oaks Boulevard, on Feb. 23 in the 900 block of Regal Road, on Feb. 27 at Grizzly Peak Boulevard and Arcade Avenue, and in the 300 block of Rugby Avenue on the same date.
The other incident — the one involving the raccoon claims — took place Feb. 10 in South Berkeley near the Ashby BART station.
Emilie Raguso
This week, Officer White said a major break in the case had come Friday when a Berkeley police officer on his way home spotted a black van linked to the scam reports, which ultimately led to deeper investigation and Monday's arrests.
On Tuesday, BPD said the arrested men had been identified as Gerard O'Connor, 22, of Brookhaven, New York, and 23-year-old James Daly (homeless), as well as a 14-year-old boy who is related to one of the men.
Police said they are not sharing booking photographs at this time due to the ongoing investigation.
As of publication time, both men remained in custody at Santa Rita Jail with bails of $930,000, arrested on suspicion of a raft of felony crimes including burglary, grand theft, obtaining money through false pretenses, identity theft, elder abuse theft and conspiracy, according to booking records.
They are scheduled for arraignment Wednesday at Wiley Manuel Courthouse in Oakland.
No other information was available about the teenager who was arrested due to privacy laws that protect minors.
This week, local authorities have also emphasized that other members of the home repair scam crew may still be at large.
Community members should remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity, BPD has said.
In their advisory Friday, Berkeley police said residents should watch out for unsolicited home repair offers from men with Irish or British accents, particularly if they push for cash payments and lack licensing credentials.
They warned residents not to accept any unsolicited work and to verify contractor licenses through the state.
Police also urged residents to seek a second opinion about unsolicited repair jobs and to call police — at 510-981-5900 — about suspicious individuals or vehicles, including Ford F-150s with out-of-state plates.
