*** FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE ***

Contact:  Officer Joe Okies  #71

                 BPD Public Information Officer

                 (510) 981- 5752  

Elderly Woman Victim of Unprovoked Knife Attack

Berkeley, California (Thursday March 17, 2005) – Last night at approximately 6:40 PM a 75 year old woman and her husband were walking in the area of 1200 Euclid Avenue near the Berkeley Rose Gardens when they were approached by two female suspects.  One of the suspects approached the elderly woman  and slashed her neck with a knife.  The two suspects fled in a light blue BMW convertible M3.   The victim did not know the attackers and no words were exchanged between the suspects and the victim prior to the stabbing.

The victim received a laceration in her neck region and was rushed to Highland Hospital for treatment.  The victim’s injuries are not considered life threatening at this time.

The suspects are described as follows:

Suspect #1 is described as:
A black female who is approximately 17 to 20 years old, 5’5” – 5’10” tall with a thin build.  She has black hair, a gray sweatshirt and sweatpants and was armed with a knife.

Suspect #2 is described as:
An unknown race female who is approximately 17-20 years of age, 5’0” to 5’5” tall with a thin build.  She has brown hair.

Sgt. Nonoguchi of the Berkeley Police Department’s Homicide Detail said, ”The random and violent nature of this attack is very concerning to us. We are aggressively investigating this case to identify the people responsible for this attempted homicide.”

The Berkeley Police Department is asking for help from anyone who may have knowledge about this crime. Please contact the Berkeley Police Department’s Homicide Detail at 510-981-5741 or email tips to police@ci.berkeley.ca.us.  You may remain anonymous.   

A Community Meeting is still Scheduled to Discuss this 
Case & Personal Safety

The meeting will be held on Thursday March 24^th at 7:00 PM at the Oxford Elementary School at 1130 Oxford St. The meeting will be held in the school’s cafeteria.