Berkeley robbery probe nets unrelated armed suspect

Berkeley police arrested an armed man Saturday while searching for robbery suspects near Strawberry Creek Park, authorities say.

The man caught officers' attention because he matched a robbery suspect's distinctive description but, as it turned out, was not part of that crime, Berkeley police said in response to a Scanner inquiry.

Anthony Earl Johnson, 24, did end up in jail in connection with the loaded gun police found in his backpack, authorities said.

The incident began Saturday shortly before 3 p.m. when a group of people robbed a pedestrian at gunpoint near Strawberry Creek Park in West Berkeley, BPD said.

While officers were looking for the culprits, they spotted a man walking up Dohr Street near Ashby Avenue, about a mile away, who matched one of the suspects in specific ways, BPD said.

The man — Johnson — took off running when he noticed officers, dropping a red backpack as he went, according to police.

Initially, the man tried to evade capture by hiding from police, but he was ultimately detained by officers at gunpoint when he tried to flee the area, authorities said.

Despite the detailed matching description, police later determined that Johnson had not been involved in the robbery, BPD said.

He was arrested in connection with the loaded gun, which he was prohibited from having due to his criminal record, according to booking records.

Johnson is now being held on $200,000 bail at Santa Rita Jail. He is scheduled for arraignment Wednesday.