Another Violent Robbery – Man Assaulted on Street at Gunpoint

A man who had just gotten off a bus was struck and robbed at gunpoint on La Honda Avenue in El Cerrito about 8 p.m. Friday night, according to El Cerrito police.

"The victim was confronted by two subjects," said El Cerrito police Sgt. David Wentworth. "One of the subjects produced a handgun and demanded the victim's money."

The man was also struck by one of the robbers, who fled the scene after taking the man's money, Wentworth said. The robbery took place in the 2600 block of La Honda, he said. He said the robbers were a male and female, both black, of medium height and build.

A report from the man's wife distributed on the Arlington Neighbors email list Saturday said, "My husband was walking home from the bus off Barrett Avenue and was attacked by 1 woman holding a gun to him and an African American man who assaulted him. ... It happened about 7:50 PM. He got off the bus walked La Honda north when he heard someone running behind him.  The attack occurred in front of another neighbor's driveway before he reached home." 

The attack occurred in the area near Tassajara Park and Tehiyah Day School. It came three days after two violent home-invasion robberies on King Drive in the El Cerrito hills. One resident was assaulted by the robber, who was later captured, according to police.

The Friday night robbery also came two days after a man was robbed at gunpoint on Portland Avenue in Albany.

Ten days earlier, on Feb. 7, a robber attacked two people working at OK Cleaners on Potrero Avenue in El Cerrito, leaving at least one, a woman, with a badly bruised and swollen face.

On Jan. 28, an 81-year-old El Cerrito woman was savagely beaten, sexually assaulted and left in the Big O Tires parking lot by an unknown suspect. She remains hospitalized and has not yet been able to talk, according to police.

On December 13, three university students walking on the BART path behind El Cerrito Plaza were robbed, punched and kicked by three attackers armed with a gun.

Burglaries in recent months also have aroused community alarm. Three nights before the Friday night mugging on La Honda, at least eight vehicles were broken into and had items stolen on eastern Gladys Avenue, nearby Scott Street and the surrounding area in El Cerrito.

A home burglary in which guitars were stolen occurred Dec. 22 in the 2600 block of Tassajara Avenue, two blocks from Friday night's robbery. Three suspects were arrested the next day when they tried to sell the guitars to the Guitar Center, according to police.

Residents have reported numerous other home burglaries in recent months. El Cerrito police nabbed three fleeing suspects from a Kensington home burglary on Jan. 14.

More than 200 people packed the Arlington Park Clubhouse and crowded outside at the windows for a community meeting in October about a spree of home burglaries in the nearby neighborhoods.

In the Friday robbery on La Honda, anyone who may have seen the robbers or suspicious activity in the area or who may have information about the crime is ask to contact El Cerrito police at 510-215-4400 during normal business hours or 510-237-3233 night and weekends.

For alerts on future articles about El Cerrito robberies, click the "Keep me posted" button below.