Burglary Suspects Arrested after Driving Against Traffic and Colliding with 2 Vehicles
Photo: Stock Image
EL CERRITO – Two burglary suspects got arrested after a freeway pursuit turned deadly. An El Cerrito officer stopped pursuing the suspects when they began driving recklessly against traffic. The suspects were apprehended after they crashed.
A commercial burglary was reported to El Cerrito PD on March 19 at 4:22 a.m. It happened at the Tobacco Outlet store, located at Peppermint Tree Plaza shopping center, 10170 San Pablo Avenue. The incident involved a pickup truck ramming into the business.
An officer pursued the suspects onto westbound Interstate 80, where it merges into westbound Interstate 580. The driver of the getaway pickup then made a fatal mistake.
In a prepared statement El Cerrito police said. “The suspects abruptly changed direction on the freeway, driving eastbound in the westbound lanes on I-580. Tragically, the suspects continued driving in the wrong direction, and collided with two vehicles on I-580 resulting in the death of a motorist.”
Officers found four victims at the westbound I-580 connector ramp, east of the Maritime Street on-ramp in West Oakland. Three persons suffered major injuries, and one person was pronounced dead at the scene.
El Cerrito officers arrested the driver Patrick Scheckells, 34, of Oakland, and Andre L. Alberty, 56, of San Francisco. California Highway Patrol assumed responsibility for the investigation of the freeway crash.
Both suspects have criminal histories. Scheckells has prior convictions for vehicle theft and petty theft. Scheckells been arrested seven times since 2021 for offenses including burglary and possession of controlled substances. Alberty has prior convictions for burglaries, grand theft, and possession of controlled substances. His multiple prior arrests date back to 1987.
