King Makes 2nd Arrest — Nabs Fleeing Carjacking Suspect After Crash

In the second arrest of his young career, El Cerrito's police dog King nabbed a fleeing carjacking suspect in Berkeley following a chase and a crash, police said.

King's handler, El Cerrito police Officer Joshua Del Prado, was on patrol with King about 1:15 a.m. Tuesday when Del Prado spotted a vehicle whose plates matched that of a car stolen earlier in a carjacking in Richmond, said El Cerrito police Det. Corporal Gilbert Tang.

Del Prado attempted to stop the vehicle, but the driver fled, entering Berkeley and continued fleeing until crashing into two parked cars on Fulton Street, Tang said.

"The suspect jumped out of the car, and King apprehended him," Tang said.

King latched onto to the suspect's "right rib-cage area and brought him down," Tang said.

The suspect, William Nidever, a Richmond resident in his 40s, was not seriously injured, Tang said. He was taken to local hospital to be checked out and then to the county jail in Martinez, where he was booked for carjacking and for felony evading police and resisting arrest, according to Tang.

It was King's second apprehension since the three-year-old German shepherd began his caeer a year ago as , Tang said.

K-9 Officer King's first arrest also occurred in the early morning hours when a suspect led police in a chase that ended with a crash in a neighboring city.

Shortly after 12:25 a.m. on Feb. 26, King located and apprehended a man hiding under a truck after the man led police on a chase from El Cerrito into Albany and crashed the stolen Honda he was driving near San Pablo and Solano avenues, according to police. The suspect fled and police cordoned off the neighborhood to conduct a search that was successfully concluded by King.

King made headlines more recently three weeks ago when he who had wandered from home and become lost and disoriented in the early morning hours, according to police.

Asked if King was receiving any special recognition in the department for his latest accomplishment, Tang said, "He gets extra doggie treats."