Hooligan Suspects Arrested after Patrol Officer Spots Man Urinating
Photo: Le Conte & Scenic Avenues
BERKELEY — The call of nature tripped up a few hooligan suspects last week. Three robbery suspects got arrested, after a patrol officer noticed a young man exiting a vehicle, and then urinating in someone’s front yard.
On October 16, a patrol officer noticed a vehicle matching the description of a vehicle linked to recent robberies. Initially, the vehicle caught the officer’s attention when he saw a man climb out.
Recently, Berkeley has experienced an uptick in armed robberies, near the campus of the University of California. The robberies happened not far from where the vehicle stopped at Le Conte and Scenic avenues.
Upon closer scrutiny, an officer smelled the aroma of beer coming from inside. It came as no surprise, to see an open can of beer sitting in plain view inside the vehicle. Soon afterward, police searched the vehicle and located an unregistered handgun and a knife inside. Next, they recovered some stolen property.
Moreover, the occupants inside the vehicle matched the descriptions of recent robbery suspects. Officers detained five individuals and arrested three men from Oakland immediately, although the investigation remains open.
Specifically, the men arrested are suspects in six or more pedestrian robberies. The suspects accosted the victims at knifepoint or with a gun.
The eldest suspect, Ernesto A. Martinez, 27, remains in custody at Santa Rita Jail, in lieu of $95,000 bond. He now has seven weapons-related charges on the books. Since being arrested, Martinez’ probation was revoked due to convictions of similar crimes.
Two other suspects arrested are no longer in custody, Carlos Ponce and Mario Lopezylopez, both 19 years old. Their charges were for receiving or concealing stolen property and weapons-related charges.
