Police Seek Attacker

The Ohlone Greenway between Hill Street and Blake Street

El Cerrito police are searching for the man who sexually assaulted a woman after midnight Sunday on the Ohlone Greenway near the Del Norte BART station.

“This is definitely an unusual crime for our area,” said Lt. J.T. Wahrlich.

Brief Encounter at the Station

Wahrlich said the woman first encountered the man in the bus area outside the fare gates of the Del Norte BART station shortly before midnight on Saturday. She spoke briefly with the man and then headed on her way, according to Wahrlich.

The man then kidnapped her and sexually assaulted her on the Greenway between Hill Street and Blake Street, the detective said.

Description of Attacker

The man was described as a Black male, mid to late 20s, skinny, and close to 6 feet tall. He was wearing a black beanie, black hooded sweatshirt, black sweatpants, and a gold chain.

Police are hoping someone who was in the area late Saturday night or early Sunday morning may have seen him.

“We are still working to identify the subject,” Wahrlich said. “We don’t know how he arrived at the station – whether he rode a train, a bus, or walked there. We’re hoping that maybe someone saw him at the station or at the Safeway nearby. If anyone saw anything, please reach out.”

How to Contact Detective Olivieri

Anyone with information is asked to call Detective Michael Olivieri at 510-820-3061 or email him at molivieri@ci.el-cerrito.ca.us

El Cerrito police were also working with BART on surveillance video.

The sexual assault was reported to police at about 1:30 a.m. Sunday from a phone at a house near where the attack took place, Wahrlich said. The woman, who was not an El Cerrito resident, received medical attention and was taken to a hospital.

Wahrlich declined to give details but said she is “doing as well as could be expected given what happened.”

The bus area at El Cerrito Del Norte station