Two separate groups of men were robbed at gunpoint early Tuesday morning, police said, with one incident occurring near the intersection of Haste Street and Shattuck Avenue and the other near Telegraph and Ashby avenues.

According to Berkeley Police Department Officer Byron White, two men were riding their skateboards just before 1:30 a.m. Tuesday when a beige Nissan four-door sedan drove up to them and cut them off. Two suspects then jumped out of the car, held the victims at gunpoint and took their wallets and phones.

About 10 minutes later, two men, unrelated to the first set of victims, were approached from behind while walking on the 2100 block of Haste Street. When the victims turned around, two suspects pointed a handgun at them and robbed them. The suspects then fled, also in a Nissan four-door sedan.



The suspects in both cases are described as black, wearing dark clothing and carrying handguns. Additionally, the suspects in the second robbery are described as being 18 to 23 years old with thin builds. White said in an email Wednesday that it is “probable” the two incidents are related, but no similar robberies have been reported since.

Contact G. Haley Massara at [email protected] and follow her on Twitter @BylineGraph.