A 36-year-old parolee was arrested just after 2 a.m. Monday, within roughly an hour of an alleged robbery that left a 22-year-old Berkeley woman with possible broken teeth near San Pablo Park. Police say the man struck the woman in the face and ran off with her laptop before officers tracked him down across the city line.
The suspect, identified as James Dexter Thompson, was taken into custody just after 2 a.m., according to The Berkeley Scanner. The outlet reported that the robbery happened shortly after 1 a.m. Monday on Russell Street near San Pablo Park, according to Berkeley police.
Police said the man may have broken the 22-year-old's teeth before fleeing with her laptop, and the woman was taken to the hospital for treatment.
Charges Stack Up on a Felon Already Under Supervision
Thompson was booked on suspicion of robbery, battery with serious bodily injury, being a felon in possession of a firearm and other offenses, the same report states. He was also arrested on a parole violation, meaning he was already under state supervision at the time of the alleged attack. Battery causing serious bodily injury falls under Penal Code 243(d). People released from state prison onto parole are required to follow conditions set by the state, according to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, which also notes that some supervised individuals carry special conditions beyond the standard terms.
Thompson's criminal history, per the same account, stretches back more than a decade. He was initially sent to prison in 2014 for a robbery he committed several years earlier, at age 21. A 2019 assault and robbery case sent him back to prison on a six-year sentence.
Bail Set at $285,000 Ahead of Wednesday Arraignment
His bail was set at $285,000, and he is scheduled for arraignment Wednesday at Wiley Manuel Courthouse. No charging document, plea or case outcome had been made public as of the report.
The outlet later added Thompson's booking photograph once it became available.
Robberies Down Citywide, But the Attack Still Lands Hard
The arrest comes amid a broader dip in robbery reports across Berkeley. Preliminary Berkeley police department data cited by the same outlet showed robberies down 13% this year, with 105 reported so far in 2026. The city maintains public dashboards where residents can review crime and calls-for-service data, according to the City of Berkeley, which also publishes annual crime reports for deeper analysis.
Even with the citywide numbers trending downward, the alleged attack on Russell Street underscores how quickly a walk near a neighborhood park can turn violent. For residents near San Pablo Park, the quick arrest may offer some reassurance, but the case remains in its earliest legal stages as it heads toward arraignment this week.
