Members of the Berkeley High School mountain bike team were allegedly robbed at gunpoint last week in West Berkeley.
For more, stream KCBS Radio now.
Three coaches and two student athletes on Saturday were unloading their bikes from a Silver 2005 Honda Odyssey Minivan and dropping off one of the boys at Virginia and 8th streets between 3:00 p.m. and 3:15 p.m. when the two suspects approached them at gunpoint, police told KCBS Radio in an emailed statement. The alleged thieves stole both the vehicle and all the bicycles, team head coach Nick Hoeper-Tomich wrote on a GoFundMe page organized for the team.
One of the suspects drove away in the stolen minivan while the other fled in the suspects' vehicle, a white sedan, according to police.
The coaches were identified by Hoeper-Tomich as "Russ," "Dan" and "OT" and the students "Kalu" and "Torsten." Nobody was injured, though Hoeper-Tomich called it a "traumatic experience."
While some of the items are covered by insurance, others are not, and the students will not be able to participate in team activities until their bikes are placed, Hoeper-Tomich said.
The coach organized a GoFundMe on Sunday and as of publication, it’s raised $24,168, surpassing its goal of $20,000. All the money raised will go directly towards the victims of the crime, according to Hoper-Tomich. Additional funds will also be used to purchase GPS trackers and safety equipment for the team.
"Thank you all for donating to getting our riders back out on the trail," Hoeper-Tomich wrote in an update on Thursday. "BHS MTB has had a rough few days, but the love and support exhibited by the community has really helped us through this. We have hit our goal and then some so thank you!"
The incident remains under investigation. Police described one of the suspects as 5-foot-7, wearing a dark, hooded sweatshirt and black pants, and the other as Hispanic, 5-foot-8, wearing dark or black clothing, gray sweatpants and white-and-black sneakers. Both were wearing masks.
LISTEN to KCBS Radio
FAVORITE KCBS Radio
Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
Related
