Berkeley SWAT team arrests San Pablo homicide suspect

Early Thursday morning, Berkeley police arrested a suspect in a San Pablo double shooting that left one man dead in late December.

Neighbors on Tremont Street, near Essex Street, woke to loudspeaker announcements at about 4:30 a.m. along with flash-bang explosions that preceded the detention.

Berkeley PD's Special Response Team — a tactical unit more commonly known as SWAT at other agencies — arrested a 22-year-old man and turned him over to the San Pablo Police Department, which is overseeing the case.

The man, whose name has not been released, was one of at least four arrests this week in connection with the San Pablo homicide case, according to records reviewed by The Scanner.

The investigation dates back to Dec. 29, 2025, when San Pablo police responded to the 1400 block of Rumrill Road for a double shooting.

Clarence Hughes Jr., a 36-year-old Richmond man, later died despite life-saving efforts, authorities said.

A second man, also 36 from Richmond, survived. No information was available this week about his condition.

On Thursday morning, after seeing the police activity, multiple neighbors and other community members asked TBS to learn more about what happened.

One of them was driving past Ashby BART at about 4:15 a.m. when she saw Ashby Avenue "completely filled" with emergency vehicles, including an armored truck.

"There was a big white seemingly-unmarked Sprinter van at the front of the row with the SWAT-like vehicle immediately behind it and then a mix of black squad cars with the gray BPD symbol on the side and standard black and white cars and two BFD heavy duty pickup trucks and at the very back of the row was the BPD heavy duty pickup truck," she told TBS.

Just as she tried to get a closer look, the entire convoy pulled away.

According to authorities and other witness accounts, the police focus was a small multi-unit apartment building in the 3000 block of Tremont at Essex Street.

After officers set up on the block a few minutes later, using floodlights to illuminate the building, police began to make announcements.

"This is the Berkeley Police Department," they said. "We have a search warrant. We have your house surrounded. Come outside with your hands up and follow the commands of the officers."

The announcements "went on for a while," neighbors said.

According to video from the scene, police set off at least two "flash-bang" grenades, which use light and sound to disorient suspects during tactical operations.

One resident described the explosions as "loud and scary" but said police maintained a calm presence throughout.

"It seemed like they were very intent on not escalating it," she said.

It wasn't long before officers had the suspect, who was arrested on a Ramey warrant, in custody.

Authorities said a drone team from the Alameda County sheriff's office, which also provided a BearCat armored vehicle, supported the operation.

According to records reviewed by The Scanner, all four young men who are now in custody were arrested on suspicion of murder and attempted murder.

All four are 22 years old. They are being held on $2 million bail, records show.

A San Pablo spokeswoman declined to share more details at this time due to the active investigation, but said more may be released later.

SPPD asks anyone with information about the case to call its Investigations Division at 510-215-3150.