Driver attack was deliberate but random, Berkeley police say
“There is no evidence that these acts were racially or politically motivated,” Berkeley police said in a statement Tuesday night.
The driver who ran down three Berkeley residents Tuesday morning in the Claremont–Elmwood district chose his victims at random, authorities say.
All three people — a 78-year-old man on a bike, a 46-year-old woman jogging and a 30-year-old man walking a dog — remain hospitalized in stable condition at Highland Hospital, the local trauma center, Tuesday night.
“There is no evidence that these acts were racially or politically motivated,” Berkeley police said in a new statement released shortly before publication.
Authorities say the driver, a 26-year-old Vallejo man, was under the influence of drugs when he struck all three people near Emerson Elementary shortly before 8 a.m.
He was arrested on suspicion of three counts of attempted murder, two counts of attempted carjacking, vehicle theft and several other crimes, including felony DUI causing injury, police said.
His name has not been released pending the booking process.
Scroll down for an update to the story.
Both of the carjacking victims were mothers in the car with a child, police said.
“One victim said they were in the car, her and her baby, when he tried to get in and pull them out,” according to dispatch audio reviewed by The Scanner.
The attack happened just before school drop-off time during the morning commute.
A graphic video of one part of the attack, originally shared by KTVU’s Henry Lee, has been making the rounds online.
(The Scanner independently obtained the footage Wednesday and added it to this story.)
Warning: This footage is graphic and disturbing. Courtesy
Police say the driver, who was in a stolen BMW, went onto the sidewalk on Belrose Avenue and intentionally struck a man walking a dog, dragging him for at least 30 feet, according to early reports.
Witnesses said the driver then “accelerated, and went back to hit the female victim.”
A BPD officer who was responding to investigate that call came across the third victim, the 78-year-old cyclist, surrounded by a crowd on Derby Street.
According to Berkeley police, the driver quickly dumped the stolen BMW in the 2800 block of Garber Street by Emerson Elementary.
The car had been taken from an address in Richmond earlier that morning but had not yet been reported.
The two carjacking attempts followed — no one was hurt — at which point the driver tried to steal an unoccupied car from a property on College Avenue, according to police.
Less than 10 minutes after the incident began, BPD found the driver in a yard and ordered him onto the ground, according to dispatch audio.
Officers ultimately used a restraint device to take him into custody after he refused to cooperate, authorities said.
“Preliminary checks indicate he has had no prior contacts with Berkeley law enforcement,” BPD said Tuesday night.
Berkeley police are still asking community members to share any related information, including video footage, about the incidents Tuesday morning.
Update, 8:20 p.m. According to booking records, the driver has been identified as Ivan Salvador Ochoa Munguia.
He is being held without bail at Berkeley Jail with arraignment set for Thursday.
Stay tuned for updates.
‘It’s not enough’: Family of woman killed in crash not satisfied with prison sentence
A London man has been sentenced to three-and-a-half years in prison and given a five-year driving ban after a crash which killed 37-year-old Rachel Stapleton on Southdale Road in January 2022.
Clay Kuzio, who was found guilty of dangerous driving causing death in November 2024, was sentenced in a London courtroom Monday by Superior Court Justice Kelly Tranquilli.
‘It’s not enough, he’s shown no remorse,” says Dave Lindsay, Stapleton’s boyfriend.
Kuzio was speeding in a white BMW at more than 100 kilometres/hour in that stretch of road which is posted at 60 km/hr.
“This craziness needs to stop, we should not be doing that kind of speed in our city of London,” says Lisa Stapleton, Rachel’s mother.
“He says that he’s sorry, and that he wishes it was him. As far as I’m concerned, it’s just something his lawyer told him to say. The only reason he’s sorry is because he got caught.”
In handing down her guilty Tranquilli said, “Witnesses testified to hearing and observing the white BMW driving at excessive rates of speed… making quick lane changes in slower traffic.”
She added, “The BMW was operating at a high degree of acceleration at the time of the collision… the BMW tachometer was frozen at 6000 RPM at the time of impact.”
At the sentencing hearing Crown Attorney Jeremy Carnegie asked that Kuzio receive a five-year prison term along with a 10-year driving prohibition saying, “A sentence of five years is fair… there is no other appropriate outcome but custody.”
On the other hand, Kuzio’s lawyer Katie Heathcote requested a two-year conditional sentence with restrictions, along with a five-year driving prohibition citing, “He (Kuzio) has feelings of shame and would trade places with her [Stapleton] if he could.”
The Stapleton family says he deserved a stiffer sentence, but are just happy the criminal portion of this ordeal is complete.
“It’s been three-and-a-half long years and we’re just glad it’s finally over,” says Chris Stapleton, Rachel’s father.
“We have our peace now and it’s just a matter of him recuperating himself now and getting back into society again as a better person. He was pretty quiet throughout the whole thing. He never said a word until the very end. I didn’t know you know what his voice sounded like until the end.”
‘Grounded until 2019:’ 14-year-old who stole mom’s BMW gets harsh punishment
14-year-old who stole mom’s BMW gets harsh punishment
EL PASO, Texas (KTRK) — When 14-year-old Aaron Martinez took his mom’s BMW for a joyride on Friday, he probably didn’t think the drive would end in a serious spanking in public and a viral moment.
The video, posted by his sister Liza Campero, immediately went viral on Twitter with over 40,000 retweets and more than 142,000 likes.
RELATED: Texas mom spanks teen son with her belt after he took off in her BMW
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Eyewitness News spoke with Campero, who says despite the viral moment, her brother is actually in big trouble.
“I knew she was gonna do it. Once she said bring the belt, I was like ‘Oh it’s over, and now it’s not just about her getting mad at him or anything like that. It’s about her trying to make the statement of embarrassing him in front of his friends,'” Campero said.
She explained to ABC13 that her brother disconnected the WiFi in the house, which enabled him to kill the security cameras, and ultimately, stop his mom from seeing what he was up to.
She and her mother had to go out and look for the teen and his friend. When they finally caught up with them, the mother took out her belt and started spanking her son.
“The way my mom was in the video, the way she yells and stuff. She doesn’t get that mad too often, but my mom is a really vocal mom. She’s not scared to tell us what it is and how she feels,” Campero said.
Campero says the stunt earned her brother a steep punishment. He’s grounded until 2019 or until further notice. The Texas mom also took away the teen’s electronic devices and removed the hinges off his door because she “wants to be able to see him at all times.”
“All he gets to do is go to golf practice and go to high school. He comes home and does his homework and hangs out with my mom or his 3-year-old niece,” Campero said.
WATCH: Liza Campero says her brother is in big trouble after joyriding in his mom’s BMW
Sister who recorded video of 14-year-old getting spanked after stealing mom’s car speaks to ABC13