Berkeley apartment tenant arrested after shooting maintenance worker entering unit
A Berkeley apartment resident was arrested after shooting a maintenance worker who had entered his home to perform work on the unit, police said Tuesday.
The incident happened Monday at about 11:41 a.m. on the 2500 block of Hillegas Avenue just south of People's Park and Dwight Way.
Berkeley Police said after the shooting, the tenant contacted police to say he had just shot a burglar. The victim also called police to report having been shot while trying to complete maintenance at an apartment.
Officers arrived and found the victim with a gunshot wound to the leg. The victim was taken to the hospital with injuries that were not life-threatening.
It was determined the maintenance worker had a work request from the tenant and had approval to enter the apartment if there was no answer at the door, police said. After trying to get the tenant to open the door without success, the worker then used a key to enter the apartment, according to police.
The victim opened the apartment door to find the tenant pointing a gun at the victim. Police said the tenant fired one round toward the maintenance worker's head but the bullet instead hit the doorframe and sent wood particles into the victim's face. The worker fled down the hallway and the tenant chased the worker, firing another round that hit the victim in the leg, police said.
The tenant then returned to his apartment and called the police, as did the maintenance worker. Officers arrested the tenant; he was identified as 43-year-old Giancarlo O'Hara of Berkeley.
Police said O'Hara was being held without bail for attempted homicide.