Last month, the Berkeley Police Department's Robbery Unit brought their investigative prowess to bear, closing two major robbery cases that had disturbed the peace of local businesses and rattled the nerves of the community, as relayed in a social media post from Berkeley Police Department.
The spree began on November 6, 2024, when five men, armed and brazen, hit Dream Fluff Donuts on Ashby Avenue. They stole a tip jar at gunpoint and forced an employee to empty the cash register, making off with the day's earnings in two stolen getaway cars, revealed the Department's summary of events.
Thanks to the keen eye of Flock Safety Camera technology, the two stolen vehicles were identified, which led to the recovery of both vehicles and the collection of evidence, including a crucial fingerprint match. This evidence paved the way for arrest warrants for two suspects, Jacob Hellman and Christian Thompson, the former nabbed by special response teams in early March and the latter, with a juvenile in tow, apprehended later that month, as shared by the Berkeley Police.
