A Bay Area college student got the fright of her life after a homeless man scaled the entryway of her off-campus apartment and chased her inside. <\/p>\n
The terrifying encounter unfolded as Berkeley grapples with years of problems surrounding homelessness <\/a>and encampments.<\/p>\n Surveillance video captured the suspect climbing the entrance to UC Berkeley junior Eden Winograd\u2019s complex and following her after she returned from walking her dog Tuesday night.<\/p>\n Winograd said she first noticed the man eyeing her outside the building.<\/p>\n UC Berkeley junior Eden Winograd had just returned from walking her dog.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\tSign up for the California Morning Report newsletter\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tThe biggest news, opinion and culture shaping California right now.\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\tThanks for signing up!\n\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n The student first saw the man eyeing her outside the building. Berkeley Police Department<\/p>\n \u201cI started to panic a little bit, but I didn\u2019t want to offend him if he was just standing there,\u201d she told NBC Bay Area<\/a>, adding that she crossed the street to get away from him.<\/p>\n \u201cI started speeding up and heard his feet banging on the floor behind me,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n \u201cI started to panic a little bit,\u201d the student said. Instagram\/@edenwinograd<\/p>\n \u201cI went up to the gate, I buzzed myself in, I went, and I closed it, and then I heard clanging sounds while I was walking inside, and I turned around, and he was like scaling the gate.\u201d<\/p>\n Surveillance video showed the suspect placing his feet on the door\u2019s push bar before hopping over the entrance while carrying what officials said was likely a barbecue lighter.<\/p>\n Winograd made it to her building\u2019s elevator and called police.<\/p>\n \u201cMy heart sank, I was out of breath, my heart was pounding,\u201d she told NBC Bay Area.<\/p>\n The suspect is seen scaling the entryway of the student\u2019s off-campus apartment. Berkeley Police Department<\/p>\n The man appeared to be carrying a barbecue lighter, officials said. Berkeley Police Department<\/p>\n Winograd says the traumatizing incident is still affecting her.<\/p>\n She later posted the surveillance footage to TikTok, where the clip has been viewed more than 1 million times.<\/p>\n Berkeley police<\/a> found the man lying on a sidewalk the next day and detained him, but did not arrest the man. Winograd assisted the police in finding the man, she told The Post. The case has been submitted to prosecutors for review.<\/p>\n Winograd says the traumatizing incident is still affecting her.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t care if they have a weapon in their hand or nothing in their hand, I don\u2019t want to be chased the second I step out of my apartment,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t want to be chased and have to watch someone claw their way up a wall to get to where I live.\u201d<\/p>\n The frightening encounter comes as Berkeley continues to wrestle with a sprawling homelessness problem that has repeatedly spilled into questions of public safety, sanitation and the use of public spaces.<\/p>\n An aerial view shows a homeless encampment at 8th and Harrison streets in Berkeley, California, on Thursday, August 20, 2026. The site, located near the UC Berkeley campus, has faced years of legal battles, severe fire and health hazards, and renewed public debate. Anadolu via Getty Images<\/p>\n The city\u2019s 2024 homeless count<\/a> found 844 people experiencing homelessness in Berkeley on a single night, including 445 people who were unsheltered and living on streets, in vehicles, tents or makeshift shelters. While the number was down from 1,057 in 2022, hundreds of people remained without shelter. <\/p>\n One of the most contentious sites has been the long-running encampment around Eighth and Harrison streets, just northwest of downtown Berkeley.<\/p>\n The encampment became the center of a yearslong legal battle between the city and homeless advocates, with officials citing fire hazards, public health concerns and other safety problems. Berkeley ultimately began clearing the site this week after a federal judge allowed the operation to proceed.<\/p>\n Download The California Post App, follow us on social, and subscribe to our newsletters <\/p>\n California Post News: Facebook<\/a>, Instagram<\/a>, TikTok<\/a>, X<\/a>, YouTube<\/a>, WhatsApp<\/a>, LinkedIn<\/a> \t\t\t\t\t\t
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