Man held in spree of East Bay sex attacks

BERKELEY, Calif. - The Berkeley Police Department has arrested a man suspected of sexual assaults and kidnappings stemming from cases in Albany, Berkeley, and Oakland, the department announced on Friday.   

Tommy Giles, Jr., is being linked to several incidents involving victims from 9 years old to 60.   

On March 30, a 9-year-old victim was sexually assaulted by an unknown suspect who claimed to have a knife. The child lived in Albany and was on their way to school.   

On April 14, Berkeley PD responded to a kidnapping and sexual assault near the 500 block of Colusa Avenue. The suspect had taken a 23-year-old woman by threatening her with a knife and then he sexually assaulted her. Police say they recovered evidence at the scene.   

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Two weeks later, on April 29, a 23-year-old woman was walking in Oakland when she was grabbed by the suspect, who again threatened to use his knife. He allegedly kidnapped, sexually battered her and forced her to orally copulate him.   

Last week, on May 21, a 60-year-old victim reported that she had been sexually battered by an unknown suspect in the area of Stannage Avenue and Cedar Street in Berkeley. She took photos of the back of the suspect and posted them on a neighborhood website, where a resident of Berkeley identified the suspect as allegedly being Giles. This was reported to the BPD on May 23, the department said.   

On May 24, Giles was arrested for the May 21st sexual battery case. Detectives claim that Giles admitted his involvement in the incident. Police also claim that further information and evidence from him was collected in relation to the other cases listed above.  

Giles is now the suspect for all five sexual assault cases.   

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On Friday, the Alameda County District Attorney's Office filed charges against Giles for felony attempt oral copulation of a child under 14, felony forcible lewd acts with a child, misdemeanor indecent exposure, felony assault with attempt to commit a sex crime, felony forced oral copulation (times two), felony sexual battery by restraint, misdemeanor sexual battery, felony kidnapping to commit a sex crime or robbery, and felony lewd act upon a child. All charged include enhancements, the DA said.   

The Berkeley Police are seeking any additional potential victims that might want to come forward. You an do so by called the sex crimes unit at (510) 981-5735.