Features

2 Shootings, 4 Arsons on Harmon Street: By RICHARD BRENNEMAN

Friday November 05, 2004

After two shootings, one serious, and a series of four vehicle arsons in seven days along a three-block stretch of Harmon Street in South Berkeley, police are declining to say if the crimes are related. 

The first incident took place shortly before 3 a.m. on Oct. 27, when a man was shot on the street outside a home at 1611 Harmon St. 

The victim was taken to Highland Hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries and has refused to cooperate with police, said BPD spokesperson Officer Shira Warren. 

The second shooting, logged as a shot or shots fired into a dwelling or vehicle, occurred near the corner of Harmon and Sacramento streets at 11:02 p.m. on Oct. 30. Police declined to offer any details of the incident. 

The first of the arson incidents was reported at 10:25 p.m. the following evening, said Deputy Fire Chief David Orth, followed by a second at 11:34. 

Two cars sustained relatively minor damage in the fires, he said. 

The next fire was reported at 12:28 a.m. Tuesday, followed by a second blaze at 3:27 a.m. The arsons resulted in significant damage to a camper unit and a car, he said. 

All four fires were near the intersection of Harmon and California streets. 

Orth said police had a description of an individual seen in the area at the time of one of the blazes.