UC Berkeley Student’s Encounter Prompts Safety Concerns

Surveillance footage has captured a disturbing incident involving a UC Berkeley student and a homeless man. The video shows the student entering her apartment complex as a man scales a locked gate and follows her inside. This occurred on September 15 in Berkeley, California.

The footage depicts the woman entering the secured area around 8 p.m. Minutes later, the man climbed over the gate, reportedly holding an object initially identified as a knife. Berkeley police later clarified that the object was likely a barbecue lighter and confirmed no physical contact occurred between the two.

The student, anonymously referred to as Eden, shared with ABC7 that she had been walking her dog when the man began making unusual gestures and approached her. He started running towards her, prompting her to rush into the complex and make use of an elevator before he could follow.

Berkeley Police received Eden’s call around 8:04 p.m. at a time when officers were handling multiple high-priority cases, including domestic violence and a missing person. Officers arrived about an hour later but were unable to find the man.

The next evening, police were alerted again when the same man was spotted on a sidewalk near Berkeley Way and Walnut Street. Officers detained him, confirmed his involvement from the previous night, but did not arrest him due to the constraints of California law. This law impedes officers from making warrantless arrests for misdemeanors not witnessed by them.

The case has been forwarded to the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office, which is now reviewing the incident to decide if criminal charges will be made. As of Monday, no charges had been filed.

Eden expressed shock and urged for more robust legal protections, emphasizing that a man could chase her into a secured area and not face immediate arrest. UC Berkeley and the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office have not provided comments regarding the matter.