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Updated: Suspected Berkeley gang members among those arrested in homicide investigation

Jeff Shuttleworth (BCN)
Friday July 29, 2016 - 03:08:00 PM

Four reputed gang members and associates,including Berkeley residents, have been arrested for the fatal shooting of a 24-year-old man in East Oakland earlier this month, police said today.  

Oakland police Lt. Roland Holmgren said at a news conference this morning that a total of five suspects confronted Anthony Stevens and shot at him in the 1400 block of 92nd Avenue at about 10:30 a.m. on July 9 "without regard for the safety of anyone."  

Stevens, who had addresses in both San Leandro and Oakland, was pronounced dead at the scene.  

The five suspects are allegedly members or associates of the Five Kingdom Mafia, which Holmgren said is a "hybrid gang" that conducts operations in Berkeley and Oakland and commits a lot of street robberies.  

Police arrested four of the suspects in Vallejo and Berkeley on July 21 but one suspect, Tyrone Anthony Terrell Jr., 23, who's originally from Berkeley and has ties to Sacramento, remains at large, Holmgren said.  

Alameda County Chief Assistant District Attorney Kevin Dunleavy said the four suspects who were arrested have all been charged with murder: Anthony Roy Wilson, 25, of Vallejo, Aoderi Qwai Samad, 23, of Berkeley, Derrick Lee McFadden, 20, of Berkeley, and Kermit Daryl Tanner, 20, of Richmond.  

 

Dunleavy said Wilson, Samad and McFadden have also been charged with the enhancement of personally discharging a firearm to cause Stevens' death, which could add 25 years to their state prison terms if they're convicted of murder. 

Wilson and Samad have also been charged with possession of a firearm by a felon because both have prior criminal convictions. 

Wilson has been convicted of second-degree robbery and Samad has been convicted of second-degree commercial burglary and unlawful firearm activity. 

In addition, Tanner has been charged with carrying a concealed firearm. Wilson is scheduled to return to Alameda County Superior Court on Aug. 15 to enter a plea but authorities said they don't know when the other defendants will return to court. 

Joining Dunleavy and Oakland police officials at a news conference at police headquarters, Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf said, "I'm pleased that through these challenging times, Oakland police have remained laser-focused on fighting crime and their efforts are paying off." 

Schaaf said homicides and shootings in Oakland have decreased in recent years. She also said Oakland police have had an 11 percent increase this year in their clearance rate for solving homicides compared to last year. 

The Oakland Police Department has been rocked by a sexual misconduct scandal stemming from allegations that several officers had sex with the underage daughter of an Oakland police dispatcher. 

Former police Chief Sean Whent resigned under pressure on June 9 and two temporary chiefs resigned shortly after that. The department is now being run by City Administrator Sabrina Landreth, with Acting Assistant Chief David Downing in charge of tactical and operational matters. 

Schaaf said she is conducting "a robust national search" for a new permanent chief but declined to estimate when a new chief will be hired, saying the process "will take time and can't be rushed."