OAKLAND — A 16-year-old boy has been charged with murder and a 19-year-old man was charged as an accessory in the fatal Aug. 7 shooting of a mother of eight in East Oakland who had confronted them for selling marijuana vape pens to some of her young relatives, according to authorities and court records.
The suspects, who police said are friends, were charged in the death of Maria Ramos, 33, who was fatally shot about 2:20 p.m. Aug. 7 in the 5600 block of Hilton Street.
The suspected shooter’s name is not being published because of his age. He is in custody at Alameda County Juvenile Hall.
The man charged with being an accessory after the fact is Isaiah Gomez, who is out of custody according to jail records.
According to authorities, the initial confrontation happened in the 2000 block of 57th Avenue where Ramos, who lived in southern California, and her children were visiting her mother and other relatives.
The two charged suspects and a second juvenile were in a vehicle driven by Gomez when they initially got into a confrontation with Ramos and her mother after the second juvenile sold some marijuana vape pens to some of her younger relatives, authorities said. Authorities said it does not appear Ramos knew the three.
Gomez drove away and Ramos and her mother followed them in a vehicle to the 5600 block of Hilton Street, where the suspects stopped, authorities said. The 16-year-old got out of the vehicle holding a pistol and Ramos was shot while trying to flee on foot, authorities said.
The three suspects then fled in the vehicle.
According to court documents, video surveillance recovered from the area of the shooting provided the license plate number of the fleeing vehicle. It was spotted — with Gomez driving — later that day by undercover officers. Police followed Gomez to his home, not far from where the shooting happened, and arrested him.
The 16-year-old was arrested a few hours later at his Oakland home and the gun believed used in the killing was recovered, authorities confirmed.
The juvenile suspected of selling the vape pens was detained the same day but was released after questioning. That person has not been charged in the killing, authorities said.
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