Berkeley police arrest woman accused of hate crime against delivery driver

Police arrested a 35-year-old woman on suspicion of a hate crime in connection with an altercation with a package delivery driver in Berkeley on Sunday, April 18.

Berkeley police responded to a disturbance reported at 7:54 p.m. in the area of Delaware Street and McGee Avenue involving two people.

Police said the incident began when the suspect — whose name they did not release — followed the delivery driver after she and her boyfriend thought they saw the delivery driver’s vehicle driving too fast.

Police said this led to an altercation in the 1700 block of Delaware Street, where the suspect used force to prevent the delivery driver from leaving and used hateful language disparaging people of color.

Officers arrested the woman on suspicion of several crimes, including false imprisonment, battery, using offensive words and willfully threatening a person based on their perceived characteristics.