Pizza delivery driver carjacked in Berkeley
As the driver returned to his car, a stranger ran up to it and jumped in the driver's seat, police said.
A delivery driver who had left his car running was carjacked in South Berkeley early Wednesday morning, authorities report.
The driver had stopped in the 2600 block of Martin Luther King Jr. Way (near Derby Street) at 1:10 a.m. to drop off a pizza when the carjacking occurred, Berkeley police said.
The driver left his gray Toyota Yaris unlocked and idling while he made the drop, BPD said.
As he returned to his car, police said, a stranger ran up to the Yaris and jumped in the driver's seat.
Read more about crime in Berkeley.
The delivery man grabbed the driver's side door in an effort to confront the carjacker "but backed off when he saw the suspect reaching toward his waistband as if he had a gun hidden there."
The man who took the Yaris was described as white, 20-30 years old, wearing all dark clothing.
The case remains under investigation, Berkeley police said.
Carjackings spiked in Berkeley last year but have been much less common in 2024, according to BPD data.
Robberies overall are also down year-to-date compared to prior years.
