Berkeley, California (Monday, August 10, 2020) - On August 6th at 8:51 pm, the Fire Department responded to Congregation Netivot Shalom (1316 University Avenue) on a report of a fire. When officers arrived, they learned that an unknown suspect had set fire to a plastic trash bin in the rear of the synagogue and ran away. Seeing the fire, bystanders worked to extinguish the fire and called the Fire Department. When the Fire Department arrived, the made certain the fire had been extinguished and notified the Police Department of the arson.
After speaking with witnesses and reviewing video surveillance recordings of the incident, investigators were able to locate the suspect in Ohlone Park the following day.
The suspect (a 39-year-old woman, no address provided) was arrested on suspicion of arson and providing false identification to the police.
The Berkeley Police Department takes great pride in keeping our community safe. We appreciate the public’s support and are pleased that we were able to bring justice to those who wish to do harm to our community.