Berkeley, California (Tuesday, February 4, 2020) - On January 17th at 10:50 am, a suspect tried to take a 3-year-old girl from a family parked in the Berkeley marina. While the girl was outside their parked vehicle, the suspect motioned for the girl to come towards him. When the girl did not, the suspect approached the girl—touching her by the shoulders. Just as this happened, family members confronted the suspect and the suspect ran to his vehicle and drove away.
Although the suspect was able to leave the area before officers could arrive, officers were able to later identify him as Bryan Blanchard (Male, 42 years old, Berkeley, CA).
At 1:17 pm, officers spotted Blanchard driving in the area of California Street and Hearst Avenue and detained him. After further investigation, officers arrested Blanchard on suspicion of driving under the influence of drugs, child stealing and attempted kidnapping.
On January 21st, the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office charged Bryan Blanchard with attempted kidnapping to commit robbery or a sex crime.
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.
Case 2020-00003029 and 2020-00003048
