Police: Berkeley apartment resident arrested in shooting of maintenance worker he thought was a burglar

BERKELEY — A resident of an apartment complex was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder Monday in the shooting of a maintenance worker whom he thought was a burglar, authorities said

The 43-year-old suspect was being held without bail Tuesday at Santa Rita Jail.

The shooting happened about 11:40 a.m. Monday at a multi-unit apartment building in the 2500 block of Hillegass Avenue, not far from the UC Berkeley campus.

Authorities said Tuesday that the tenant contacted police to say he had just shot a burglar. The victim also called police and said he was shot while trying to complete maintenance at the unit where the suspect lived.

Officer Jessica Perry said when officers got to the apartment they found the maintenance worker with a wound to the leg.  He was taken to a hospital for treatment of non life-threatening injuries.

Perry said officers at the scene determined the maintenance worker was attempting to work inside a unit upon the tenant’s request. The tenant had made a maintenance request and provided approval for maintenance to enter the apartment if there was no answer at the door.

The victim made numerous attempts to get the tenant to open the door with negative results, police said. The victim then used a key to enter the apartment.

As the victim opened the apartment door, he saw a person pointing a gun at him, police were told. As the victim was still standing in the hallway; the suspect fired one round toward the victim’s head, police said. The bullet hit the doorframe, sending wood particles into the victim’s face, police said.

As the victim fled down the hallway; the suspect followed him and fired one more round, striking him in the leg before returning to his apartment to call the police, authorities said.

The tenant was detained at the scene and was positively identified as the suspect, police said.

He is due to be arraigned in court Wednesday.