Date: 01-08-2024
Location: 237 N Orchard Ave, Ukiah
Suspect: Robert Berg, 45 year-old-male of Ukiah
Victim: 78-year-old female of Ukiah.
Violations: 10851(a) CVC – Take vehicle without owner’s consent – Felony
2800.2(a) CVC- Evade peace officer with wanton disregard for safety – Felony
3455(a) PC – Violation of a Post Release Community Supervision (PRCS) Probation – Felony
12500(a) CVC- Drive w/o license- Misdemeanor
On 1/8/2024, at approximately 2000 hours, Ukiah Police Department (UPD) officers were dispatched to 237 North Orchard Avenue regarding a vehicle that had just been stolen. Upon arrival, UPD officers contacted the owner of the vehicle (78-year-old female of Ukiah).
The victim stated she was making multiple trips from her vehicle into the Laundromat. During one such trip, the vehicle was taken. UPD officers checked the area and were unable to locate the stolen vehicle at that time.
The vehicle was added to the Stolen Vehicle System data base and information about the stolen vehicle was provided to the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) and the California Highway Patrol (CHP).
On 01/08/2024, at approximately 2100 hours, the above-mentioned stolen vehicle was captured on UPD’s Flock camera inside the city limits. The stolen vehicle was later observed by a UPD officer traveling at a high rate of speed northbound on Highway 101 near North State Street. The UPD officer attempted to conduct a traffic stop on the stolen vehicle. The subject driving the vehicle failed to yield to the officer and accelerated to speeds over 100 MPH, initiating a vehicle pursuit.
CHP and MCSO were notified of the pursuit. The UPD officer continued with the stolen vehicle as the vehicle swerved between lanes and continued at a high rate of speed during inclement weather conditions.
The vehicle took the Calpella off-ramp and continued straight toward the northbound on-ramp to merge back onto HWY 101 at speeds of approximately 50 MPH. The driver did not stop at the stop sign or yield while entering the intersection. The stolen vehicle almost struck the stop sign as it traveled through the intersection. The stolen vehicle lost control and eventually crashed over the embankment to the right of the HWY 101 northbound on-ramp, approximately 10 feet down the embankment causing major damage to the vehicle.
CHP officers, MCSO deputies, and the UPD officer who initiated the pursuit, were able to gain compliance from the driver. He surrendered and was placed into custody without incident.
The driver was determined to be Robert Berg, 45-year-old male from Ukiah. Records check on Berg revealed he was on PRCS probation out of Lake County, CA. Additionally, Berg was determined to be unlicensed.
Berg was placed under arrest for the above listed charges, and he was transported to the Mendocino County Jail after being medically cleared.
CHP on viewed the traffic collision during the pursuit. CHP assisted and conducted the traffic collision portion of the investigation.
The Ukiah Police Department would like to thank the California Highway Patrol and the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office for their assistance with this investigation.
As always, our mission at UPD is to make Ukiah as safe a place as possible. If you would like to know more about crime in your neighborhood, you can sign up for telephone, cell phone, and email notifications by clicking the Nixle button on our website; www.ukiahpolice.com
Download: press_release_24-0042.pdf