Two men arrested on suspicion of annoying or molesting kids at Berkeley parks

One incident happened Tuesday at Shorebird Park and the other Wednesday at Strawberry Creek Park.

BERKELEY — Two men were arrested on suspicion of annoying or molesting children in separate cases this week at public parks in Berkeley, according to authorities.

The first incident happened around 3:15 p.m. Tuesday at Shorebird Park, located at 160 University Ave., the Berkeley Police Department said in a community message.

When officers arrived at the scene, they learned the suspect had been trying to invite children into a restroom stall, police said. The officers also identified a pair of victims.

The suspect, identified as a 65-year-old man, was arrested and booked into the Santa Rita Jail on charges including annoying or molesting a child under the age of 18.

The second incident was reported around 12:50 p.m. Wednesday at Strawberry Creek Park, located at 1260 Allston Way.

This time, a suspect inappropriately touched a child who was attending a summer camp, police said. The suspect, police added, was not affiliated with the summer camp.

“Upon their arrival, the police conducted an investigation and found that the suspect had indeed inappropriately touched a juvenile on the stomach and had also given them a high five,” police said.

The suspect, identified as a 51-year-old man, was arrested and booked into the Berkeley City Jail on charges of annoying or molesting a child under the age of 18.

Both men remained in custody Thursday.