A 31-year-old man was charged with a hate crime Monday after allegedly using a guitar to assault a man at his encampment in downtown Berkeley last week, police announced Tuesday.
The victim, an unidenitified 51-year-old man, was sleeping at his encampment in the area of Shattuck Ave. and Blake St. on July 8 when the suspect, Blake Harris, struck him multiple times with a guitar, which belonged to the victim, followed by several punches and kicks.
During the attack, police said Harris made disparaging comments to towards the LGBTQ community. He fled the scene before officers arrived.
The victim was treated for injuries to his head and upper body at a local hospital.
Police were able to gather information from witnesses and recognized the person’s description since they frequently patrol the area. The next morning they found him at the 2500 block of Haste St. and arrested him.
On Monday, the Alameda County District Attorney charged Harris with assault with a deadly weapon, special allegation for causing serious bodily injury, criminal threats, and willfully threatening a person based on their perceived characteristics, which is considered a hate crime.
There have been more than a dozen hate crimes in Berkeley this year, a significant increase from last year according to Berkeleyside.
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