berkeley news

OAKLAND — Oakland police recovered $6,000, a cache of guns and arrested four people Tuesday after a takeover robbery at a Berkeley credit union, police said.
Berkeley police spokeswoman Sgt. Mary Kusmiss said four men entered the Cooperative Center Federal Credit Union at 2001 Ashby Ave. in Berkeley shortly before noon Tuesday. They were arrested later after their vehicle was spotted in Oakland.
Kusmiss said two of the men were armed, and all were wearing mesh surgical-like masks on their faces.
The men ordered the 20 employees and one customer to the ground and demanded employees hand over all the money, police said.
A female teller was punched in the back of the head, but her injury was not severe enough to be transported to a hospital. Police said she will make a full recovery. No other injuries were reported.
Money in hand, the four got into a gold Chrysler Infinity and fled eastbound on Ashby Avenue, police said. An employee wrote down the car’s license plate number.
Oakland police, including Officers Todd Bergeron and Bill Pappas, and Alameda County Probation Officer Ray Cardona, spotted the car on Edwards Avenue in Oakland and pursued it at speeds up to 50 mph, police said. The car crashed into a parked vehicle in the 6600 block of MacArthur Boulevard and three of the occupants were arrested.
Police arrested a fourth suspect at a nearby apartment complex. In the car, police found an assault pistol,
a shotgun and the money.
One of the men taken into custody is Christopher Roberson, 22, an Oakland parolee. He was charged with numerous felonies, including evading police, armed robbery and being a felon in possession of a weapon. Berkeley police were in the process of identifying the other suspects late Tuesday, Kusmiss said.

mercurynews.com


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