Five teenagers were arrested on suspicion of robbery after a stolen laptop prompted a wild car chase through Berkeley on Tuesday afternoon, according to Berkeleyside.
Major police activity was reported in West Berkeley shortly after 2:20 p.m., including a helicopter flying over the area, the paper said.
The incident began when a MacBook Pro was stolen from a customer at a Peet’s Coffee on 1776 4th St. The suspects fled in a 2012 white Toyota Camry, which police determined was also used during an armed carjacking in Oakland on Monday.
Officers located the stolen vehicle on Cedar St., and a chase ensued through the city as the suspects at one point reportedly drove westbound at 40 miles per hour down the eastbound lanes of University Ave.
Eventually the driver collided with another vehicle, lost control, and hit a pedestrian on a bench at San Pablo and University Ave.
The extent of the victim’s injuries are not known, however the paper reported they may have been taken to a local hospital for treatment.
The alleged thieves left the vehicle and ran through a Wells Fargo parking lot and into the block.
Authorities set up a perimeter and eventually detained five juveniles, age 12 to 15 years old, at the 1800 block of San Pablo Ave. and also recovered the stolen computer.
Berkeley police officials told the paper that they, along with other agencies, are investigating if the incident was linked to other crimes.
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