Berkeley police investigate armed robbery on Russell
The robbery took place during a sale arranged on social media, Berkeley police said in response to a Scanner inquiry.
A man trying to sell a piece of jewelry was robbed at gunpoint in Berkeley's Elmwood neighborhood Thursday evening.
The seller arranged the meeting on social media, Berkeley police said in response to a Scanner inquiry.
The incident took place just before 6:40 p.m. in the 2600 block of Russell Street near Benvenue Avenue, a residential area just west of College Avenue.
During the meeting, the "buyer" pulled out a gun and grabbed the jewelry before fleeing northbound on Benvenue on foot, authorities said.
He was described as a Hispanic man in his 30s, about 5 feet 8 inches tall, wearing beige or khaki pants, police said.
Robberies in Berkeley have plummeted 26% this year, with just 54 reported so far, according to BPD data.
Berkeley historically averaged about a robbery a day but plunged during the pandemic and have continued to fall since then (aside from a spike in 2023).
