SAN LEANDRO — On at around 4:20 a.m. last Sept. 11, an employee of a cannabis warehouse on Adams Avenue spotted a group of armed robbers pulling up in a U-Haul van and a grey Jeep, he sprung into action and attempted to lock the front door before the assailants arrived.
But Victor Domingo didn’t get there fast enough. Three masked men, two holding firearms, burst into the building and held him at gunpoint, forcing him to lead them around the structure as they checked each room for trimmed cannabis to steal. Meanwhile, two lookouts stood outside by the vehicles, keeping an eye out for security guards, until they spotted one.
A shootout ensued, and when the smoked settled, three men — a suspected robber, an armed security guard, and Domingo — were suffering gunshot wounds. Four days later, Domingo died from his injuries at a hospital.
Now, Alameda County prosecutors have charged five men with playing different roles in the robbery.
Jordan Whatley, 19, faces charges of kidnapping and murdering Domingo. Cedric Devall, Demoni Simmons, and Demetrius Wells face charges of kidnapping and robbery. A fifth man, Isaac Brice, faces a lone robbery charge.
Wells, the man police say was injured during an exchange of gunfire with a security guard, was arrested at the warehouse by responding officers, and taken to a hospital. The other suspected robbers allegedly drove off in the U-Haul van and the Jeep, led police on a chase to Oakland, Richmond, and back to West Oakland. On Martin Luther King Jr. Way, the vehicles stopped and Brice, a passenger, attempted to get from the van to the Jeep, but was nabbed by officers before he could make it, according to police.
The Jeep then sped off into the night. Police tracked it down, empty, in a dead end road near 31st Street and Martin Luther King Jr. Way.
Whatley, a Stockton resident, was arrested there on Oct. 25, near the intersection of Ishi Goto Street and McDougald Boulevard, court records show. He, Devall, and Simmons are being held without bail, while Wells and Brice are out of custody. It is unclear whether Wells, who police say was seriously injured, is still hospitalized.
Whatley was identified as a suspect from surveillance video that showed him with a unique tattoo of his mother’s name in cursive script, police say. Before the shootout, but after Domingo had been taken hostage, Whatley was seen taking selfies of himself standing next to cannabis plants, according to authorities.
The charging records allege that Whatley shot Domingo multiple times during the shootout with security guards. Before that, he was still being led around the warehouse, with both hands placed on his head, police say.
After Domingo fell to the ground with gunshot wounds, the others attempted to leave. It was then that a final exchange of gunfire occurred, resulting in a security guard shooting Wells and being struck by a bullet himself. Another robber attempted to drag Wells into the Jeep, but realizing the seriousness of his injuries, left him behind, police say.
The security guard’s injuries were the least serious of the three, according to authorities.
The case is set for a preliminary hearing on Jan. 3, where a judge will review evidence and determine if there is enough to file charges.
Source: www.mercurynews.com