A man has been convicted on multiple counts, including kidnapping, rape, and burglary, in two separate incidents that occurred in the City of Berkeley, officials said. Keith Kenard Asberry Jr. was found guilty by an Alameda County jury for a 2008 kidnapping and sexual assault of a teenager and for a violent home invasion that took place in 2015, the Alameda County District Attorney's Office reported.
Approaching the teenage victim near Berkeley High School back in 2008, Asberry, wielding a gun, coerced her into driving to a secluded street where the sexual assault occurred. After the assault, the victim was forced by Asberry to withdraw $200 from her bank account using her ATM card. Tragically, the rape kit from this incident was not tested until six years later, a critical delay that allowed Asberry to remain at large and victimize another person in 2015.
The 2015 break-in happened just as the female victim was unloading her shopping, with Asberry barging into her home. A struggle ensued before he fled the scene. The jury delivered guilty verdicts on numerous felony charges, including kidnapping to commit a sex crime, first-degree burglary, and forcible rape, among others. "I want to thank the jury for their hard work in delivering this guilty verdict," District Attorney Pamela Price said via the press release. "Today's verdict finally brings closure to the victims who waited years for justice to be served."
DA Price also extended Praise to the legal and support teams, congratulating Deputy District Attorney Cathryn Dalton, Inspector Jason Turner, and Retired Deputy DA Mark Melton for their efforts in prosecution. The Victim-Witness Advocates, Aurelia Morena and Claudia Romero, were applauded for supporting the victims. Addressing the delay in justice, DA Price noted, "It is clear that if the rape kit was tested immediately, Mr. Asberry would have been identified as the alleged attacker in that case because of a felony gun conviction from 2005."
Keith Kenard Asberry Jr. is now facing a life sentence behind bars. The sentencing is scheduled for May 24 at 9:00 A.M. at the René Davidson Courthouse, Department 8.
