Victim says he was tracking his stolen car before fatal Berkeley stabbing

Luz Pena Image
Tuesday, January 21, 2025
Berkeley stabbing victim was tracking stolen car before incident
One of the victims of a Saturday afternoon stabbing in Berkeley told police he was trying to stop a thief who'd stolen his car before the incident happened.

BERKELEY, Calif. (KGO) -- One of the victims of a Saturday afternoon stabbing in Berkeley told police he was trying to stop a thief who'd stolen his car before the incident happened.

The stained pavement on Russell Street is a reminder of what residents of a quiet Berkeley neighborhood witnessed on Saturday afternoon.

"I saw two bodies. One man was screaming for help and the other one was inert and right in the middle of the street," said a neighbor who did not want to be identified.

RELATED: 1 woman dead, 2 injured after violent stabbing incident in Berkeley, police say

This resident said he saw the aftermath of the violent stabbings of two men and one woman.

Police dispatch audio indicates one of the victims called 911 saying their car had been stolen and he was following it.

Dispatcher: We've got the RO (registered owner) calling in advising their car was stolen, stating they followed it to 1332 Russell St. We've now got an open line with a heated 415 (disturbing the peace) in the background.

Minutes later, a second call came in reporting the stabbing.

Dispatcher: We are now getting another call for a male on the ground yelling and bleeding from the leg.
Officer: We have multiple reports of stabbing victims here.
Dispatcher: Copy, multiple stabbing victims.

A police officer can he heard calling for the fire department to send paramedics.

INTERACTIVE: Take a look at the ABC7 Neighborhood Safety Tracker

Officer: We need BFD (Berkeley Fire Dept.), code 3, over here to Burnett and Acton. An unresponsive female, bleeding from multiple stab wounds.

The woman was later pronounced dead at the hospital. The two men are said to be in stable condition.

A resident who saw the men who had been stabbed said the area has changed lately. He says he has noticed people abandoning vehicles at the end of the street and he wants police to intervene.

"I see characters coming in here and driving around there and dumping cars. I've had to report a couple cars to the city," said the resident.

It's still unclear what lead to this fatal stabbing yet on the phone Berkeley P.D. told ABC7:

"It was an isolated incident. There is no cause for concern for the public"

Many here are still trying to understand what happened.

"It's unusual to see that kind of violent crime here. Once in a while you might see a car break in or a car get dump here but to see a triple stabbing is really unusual," said Mandy, one of the residents in the area.

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