Berkeley police chase stolen car after Flock hit, driver arrested
The driver fled from police in the downtown Trader Joe's parking lot, hitting one police cruiser and nearly colliding with another, BPD said.
Update, Oct. 17: Authorities have shared more details about Wednesday's police pursuit, which began with an alert about a stolen vehicle in Berkeley and ended with a crash involving a school bus in Oakland.
The chase, which started after BPD got an alert from its new Flock automated license plate reader (ALPR) system about a stolen red Audi entering the city, went through southeast Berkeley and North Oakland before getting on I-580 and ending in East Oakland.
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"The pursuit concluded when the suspect was driving east on MacArthur Boulevard and ran the red light at the intersection with Calaveras Boulevard —colliding with two vehicles in the intersection," BPD said.
One of those vehicles was a school bus, although there were no children on it at the time, authorities said.
Oakland police and the California Highway Patrol will handle that portion of the investigation, BPD said.
On Thursday, police said the red Audi had been reported stolen from the 2600 block of Benvenue Avenue, near Parker Street in Berkeley's Southside neighborhood, on Sept. 25.
In its update Thursday, BPD released the name of the passenger from Wednesday's chase but said they could not share the driver's name because she remains in the hospital with injuries from the crash.
The driver, a 49-year-old woman with no permanent address, "broke several bones during the collision that will require an extended stay at the hospital for treatment," Berkeley police said.
As a result, she could not be booked into jail, BPD said: "We are sending the case to the District Attorney’s Office to consider prosecution for attempted assault with a deadly weapon (using the vehicle), fleeing from police causing injury, vehicle theft, reckless driving, possession of burglary tools, possession of drugs" and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Police found a "small quantity of methamphetamine as well as several tools (bolt cutters, window pry, etc.) that are commonly used for auto thefts or burglaries" when they searched the stolen car after detaining its occupants, BPD said.
The passenger was identified as Gabriel Mascorro, 49, of Oakland.
He was arrested on suspicion of possessing a stolen vehicle, possession of burglary tools, identity theft, possession of drugs and possession of drug paraphernalia — as well as an outstanding felony arrest warrant from Oakland PD related to vehicle theft.
When they searched Mascorro, BPD said they found him with "several bank cards that did not belong to him," prompting the ID theft allegations.
He is being held at Santa Rita Jail on $40,000 bail, with arraignment scheduled for Friday, according to online jail records.
Police said they could not release booking photos of either suspect due to the ongoing investigation.
Original story: Berkeley police arrested a driver after she fled from officers in a stolen car Wednesday, hitting a patrol vehicle and narrowly missing several pedestrians, authorities report.
The incident began at about 1:40 p.m. when Berkeley police got an alert from the city's new Flock camera system about a stolen red Audi in the city, BPD said.
Officers then saw the Audi pull into the Trader Joe's parking lot in downtown Berkeley at 1885 University Ave. (at Martin Luther King Jr. Way), authorities said.
But, as officers headed into the parking lot, the driver fled, hitting one police vehicle and nearly colliding with another, BPD said.
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The driver "then drove onto the sidewalk — nearly striking several pedestrians walking there," police said.
The driver fled the scene and officers pursued her into Oakland, where she crashed into two vehicles at MacArthur Boulevard and Calaveras Avenue near Mills College.
Officers arrested the driver, a woman, and her passenger, a man, "without further incident."
Emilie Raguso
BPD arrested the driver on suspicion of possessing a stolen vehicle, hit-and-run and attempted assault with a deadly weapon (in relation to the Audi), police said.
The passenger was arrested in connection with a felony warrant "and other crimes," BPD said.
Both were taken to the hospital for a medical evaluation following airbag deployment, so their ages and cities of residence were not immediately available, police said.
Read more about traffic safety in Berkeley.
A Berkeley police officer sustained a leg injury during the incident, and a driver from a car that was hit in Oakland also reported a complaint of pain, BPD said.
Both were taken to the hospital for evaluation.
BPD said additional information may be available Thursday after the police reports are complete.
