DUBLIN — Just 17 hours after being booked into Santa Rita Jail for a misdemeanor vandalism arrest, an Oakland man allegedly killed his cellmate, police say.
Bryson Levy, 33, killed Yuri Brand, 39, of El Cerrito, inside the jail cell they shared, according to the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office. Police have not released the suspected motive, nor a cause of death.
Brand had only been in the jail a few days when he was killed. He was charged on Sept. 11 with breaking into a Piedmont home, spending two days there and consuming $1,000 worth of food and alcohol and busting a doorknob inside the home. He was charged with felony burglary and misdemeanor trespassing.
Brand’s family told KTVU that he had schizophrenia after suffering a head injury.
The circumstances of Levy’s underlying arrest weren’t immediately available. Police say they’re turning over the case to the Alameda District Attorney with a request he be charged with murder.
Levy remains in the jail on a no-bail hold, records show.
Staff writers Harry Harris and Jakob Rodgers contributed reporting
Source: www.mercurynews.com