Police: Man trapped woman in elevator during sexual assault

A homeless man police say followed a woman into her downtown Berkeley apartment building before sexually assaulting her is set for arraignment Thursday.

The woman, who is in her 20s, had used her key fob to enter the building July 4 at about 3 p.m. when suspect Sean Johnson followed her inside, according to Berkeley police.

Johnson, 40, followed the woman through the lobby and into the elevator before pulling down his pants, exposing himself and repeatedly groping her, according to court papers.

When the woman got off the elevator, Johnson again followed her, police said. He continued to follow her back into the elevator when she tried to get away, according to BPD.

The woman attempted to take the elevator to the lobby but authorities say Johnson "kept pressing additional floor buttons" to prolong the ride as he continued to expose and touch himself while grabbing the woman's body.

"You will be safe," he told woman, who "was terrified and felt that Johnson was going to try to rape her," according to police.

Eventually the elevator stopped on a floor where the presence of a witness allowed the woman to escape and call 911, police said.

Officers arrived within minutes to University and Shattuck avenues but Johnson quickly ran into a different building to evade capture and hide, authorities said.

Sean Johnson. BPD

Police arrested Johnson in a nearby parking garage about 30 minutes after the woman's 911 call, according to public records.

During his arrest, police found cocaine and a glass pipe, BPD said.

They also determined Johnson already had a warrant for his arrest in a sexual battery case from San Francisco.

In charging papers, police wrote that Johnson has an "extensive" criminal history, with arrests related to robbery and battery as well as burglary and prowling.

The Alameda County district attorney's office has charged Johnson with assault with intent to commit a sex crime, false imprisonment by violence and burglary (all felonies); as well as misdemeanor sexual battery and possession of cocaine, according to court papers.

Johnson has three Alameda County burglary convictions dating back to 2007, two of which sent him to prison, according to charging documents.

Sex crimes are down in Berkeley in 2026

There have been 33 felony sex crimes reported in Berkeley this year, compared to 55 over the same period last year, according to preliminary BPD data.

Misdemeanor sex crimes have remained mostly flat, with 24 last year compared to 22 in 2026.

As of Wednesday, Johnson remains in custody at Santa Rita Jail in Dublin, where he is being held without bail, according to booking records.

Police did not release his booking photograph until today due to the ongoing investigation.

Johnson is scheduled for arraignment Thursday, according to court records.