Berkeley police arrest man accused of stalking, harassing women

BERKELEY, Calif. -- A man accused of stalking and harassing women in Berkeley near the UC Campus was arrested on Feb. 2 after multiple women reported being followed, groped, and being the subject of obscene comments.

Reports about a man in his car harassing women go back as far as Sept. 20, 2021, when a woman in Oakland reported that she had been followed the suspect's car and was subjected to obscene comments. On Sept. 21, 2021, another woman reported being followed by the same man for 2.5 miles. When she reached her destination, the man allegedly confronted her, grabbed her chest and told her he "wanted sex," according to the BPD.

Between Jan. 1 and Feb. 1, "several" women at UC Berkeley reported feeling uncomfortable when the suspect either got too close to them, flirted with them, or inquired about their specific whereabouts, police said.

On Jan. 29, three female UC Berkeley students were walking home when they say they realized that they were being followed. The car repeatedly made U-turns and drove around the block in order to keep following them, police said. The women reported running home, but said they still saw the man in his car parked in front of their residence for 1-2 hours.

The women again saw the man circling their neighborhood on Jan. 31, and they called the police. Police made contact with the man, who police claim told them that the university area is "full of women who want him."

Officers left the man, but reported the incident to detectives, who connected the suspect with other alleged incidents.

An arrest warrant for the subject was ordered on Feb. 2, and he was arrested that evening.

On Feb. 4, the Alameda County District Attorney charged the suspect with three counts of stalking with criminal enhancements, police said.

The Berkeley PD Sex Crimes Unit believes that there may be other victims and encourages anyone who may have had similar encounters with the suspect to please contact them at (510) 981-5735.