Woman escapes armed carjacking attempt in Berkeley
A man with a gun banged on the woman's door and tried to open it, but she was able to drive away and call police.
A woman driving in Berkeley earlier this week was confronted by an armed man who tried to carjack her, authorities report.
The woman, an Oakland resident in her 40s, was able to get away and call police after the man tried unsuccessfully to open her car door, Berkeley police said in response to a Scanner inquiry.
BPD said the woman had stopped in West Berkeley at Seventh and Potter streets, near the borders of Emeryville and Oakland, when a man with a handgun ran up to her passenger door at 12:15 a.m.
The man "banged on the door and tried to open it," but the woman was able to drive away and report the crime.
The "unknown race" man wore dark clothing and a mask and appeared to be in his 30s, about 5 feet 10 inches tall, with a medium build.
Police said the case remains under investigation.
According to BPD's Transparency Hub data portal, there have been 14 carjackings in Berkeley in 2024 compared to 39 over the same period last year.
Other than homicide, most categories of serious crime, including robbery, are down in Berkeley this year compared to last year's spike.
This year, there have been about 210 robberies, including carjackings, compared to 378 last year. That's a 44% decrease.
