Man Charged With Murder For Berkeley Knife Fight

BERKELEY, CA — A Southern California man is facing murder and attempted murder charges for allegedly killing a woman and injuring a man while trying to recover his stolen van in Berkeley earlier this month.

Berkeley police say that on Jan. 18, Raymond Johnson from Downey was trying to recover his stolen delivery van, which he found using a tracking device, when he confronted the alleged thief at about 12:20 p.m.

Johnson had called police about the theft, which occurred in Oakland, but arrived at a home in the 1300 block of Russell Street in Berkeley before officers and allegedly found a man and a woman removing packages from his van.

He allegedly confronted the man and stabbed him, was then stabbed by the woman, who he then also stabbed multiple times, police said.

When officers arrived, they found Johnson, who is also charged with assault with a deadly weapon, and the alleged van thief, Jalen Carr-Harris, 29, suffering from knife wounds at the intersection of Russell and Acton streets.

They also found the stolen van a block and a half away on Burnett Street, where the woman was lying wounded on the ground.

All three were taken to the hospital, where the woman died and where Johnson remains, police said.

Carr-Harris is in Santa Rita Jail, where he was booked on suspicion of several charges from three separate cases, including receiving a stolen vehicle, robbery, grand theft and stalking, among other offenses.

His next court appearance is scheduled for April 28 at 9 a.m. in the Rene C. Davidson Courthouse in Oakland, according to court records.

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