A renegade bicyclist has been arrested on suspicion of false imprisonment, misdemeanor battery and assault after a wild thunder run along the Iron Horse Trail in Alamo Wednesday.
The ride-by batterer, identified by police as Joshua Bergeleen, 24, from El Cerrito, was reportedly hard to miss during his rampage, allegedly riding with blue-tipped hair aboard a lime green bicycle.
Police were first contacted at 1:50 p.m. after trail walkers began calling in reports that the man was randomly hitting and “blocking” people – allegedly slapping one woman in the face while she was holding an infant. East Bay Regional Park District police, who are investigating the bizarre string of events, said there are three confirmed victims and possibly two more – one of whom may be a juvenile.
Contra Costa sheriff’s deputies apprehended the suspect at 2:45 p.m. near Ridgewood Road in Alamo and Park District police took him into custody shortly thereafter. He was booked into the Martinez Detention Facility.
Anyone with information is asked to call the East Bay Regional Park District Police Department is (510) 881-1833.
Overheard people talking about this today. Crazy. Mental issues or someone trying to get back into jail?
Surprised someone didn’t run him down and kick his ass.
I know I must sound like a 55 + AARP member now …. but why do we have so many freaks running around these days?
I’m running into these idiots, who are in your face, almost daily now…. it feels as if Society is on the decline for sure. Seems like we tolerate and accept anything.
Is it a full moon or something?
No bike paths in El Cerrito to terrorize?
I would have jammed my walking stick in his spokes. Bully.
Mental health issues or drug related. Or both.
Yes so sad. We need facilities to treat these individuals. If we continue to ignore them and throw them in jail for a while that does not work. Nothing changes, nothing changes!
Agreed Debora – they just come out older and angrier.
Jail is not the place for people with mental illness; they need help and there is no place for them to go. We need inpatient facilities or its just going to get worse.
This kid doesn’t have mental issues. He has issues with growing up and being an adult and instead chooses to do drugs and steal from hard working citizens. He’s CHOOSING to do the drugs. The fault is all his own. Go cry me a river about the “drugs making him do it” or “it’s a disease he has no control over”…..He has a choice to combat his drug addiction or continue to damage himself. He commits crimes to continue doing what he wants and until he decides to make a change JAIL is exactly where he belongs. Maybe he can choose to start with the change when he’s in jail.