| Dad's funeral day before son's birthday 20-year-old robbed, shot while pumping gas September 12, 2000 By Mike Martinez STAFF WRITER OAKLAND -- Oakland resident Nicholas Espinoza expected to celebrate his son's first birthday this weekend. Instead, he was shot and killed early Sunday and will be buried the day before his son turns 1-year-old. Police spokesman George Phillips said Espinoza, 20, was shot during a robbery at 5 a.m. outside an ARCO Station on the 3400 block of San Pablo Avenue. Espinoza was shot at least once and taken to Highland Hospital, where he was pronounced dead a short time later. Phillips said investigators have no motive or suspects in the case. A $30,000 reward has been offered for information leading to the capture of the suspect or suspects. ARCO has posted $25,000 and Oakland police have added $5,000. In addition to a separate murder Saturday night in East Oakland, the Espinoza killing brings the number of homicides in Oakland this year to 65. There were 68 in all of 1999. Marcelina Sanchez, Espinoza's sister-in-law, said her family may contribute as much as $20,000 to the reward, saying, "We don't want anyone to go through what we're going through right now." She said Espinoza had been married to her sister for about two years. They were planning a large celebration for their son's first birthday. "He was a happy, very family-oriented man," Sanchez said. "He loved being with his family. All he wanted to do was take his wife and son out. We made him feel real welcome in our family. We loved him just like a brother." Sanchez said Espinoza stopped to put gasoline in his car when he was robbed and killed. Funeral arrangements are scheduled for Thursday. His son turns 1 on Friday. "People out here these days don't care about other people or whether they have a family," Sanchez said. "You can't even go to the gas station in your own city." In a separate incident Saturday in Oakland, a man was killed while spending time with his girlfriend. Oakland homicide investigator Sgt. Gus Galindo said 21-year-old Bernabe Munoz of Oakland was in the passenger seat of his girlfriend's Monte Carlo shortly before 11 p.m. Saturday. They reached a stop sign at 90th Avenue and A Street when someone got out of a car behind them and walked up to the car. The unknown assailant pulled out a firearm and pumped an undetermined number of rounds in the teen-age girl's car, striking both occupants. The girl, whose name is not being released, was treated at the scene and released. Munoz, shot at least once, was taken to Eden Medical Center, where he died Sunday morning. Galindo said there was some indication the incident may be gang-related. He said investigators are following up on witness information. |
| $30,000 reward offer in Arco slaying September 16, 2000 By Matthew D. LaPlante Correspondent OAKLAND -- Concerned that police do not have the resources necessary to find the killer of Nicholas Espinoza, the murdered man's friends and family came to the site of his death to start a campaign to help. Espinoza, 20, was killed Sunday morning while pumping gas at the Arco station on 34th Street and San Pablo Avenue. Friday, friends and family handed out fliers at the gas station and urged anyone with information about the murder to call police. A $30,000 reward -- $25,000 of which will come from Arco -- has been offered for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of his killer. Amidst a barrage of news reporters, photographers and videographers, family spokesperson Jose Ortiz challenged the city to do more to bring justice to the killer on behalf of Espinoza's son, Anthony, whose first birthday was Friday. "We've cried all week, but now it is time to stop crying and to start fighting for justice," Ortiz said. Ortiz, a city employee 11 years, said homicide detectives do their best but do not have enough resources to do their jobs the right way. He said the fliers were a way to help get the word out that police are looking for Espinoza's killer. However, homicide Sgt. Derwin Longmire was concerned when he learned of the fliers. "That needs to stop," he said. "Obviously, anytime you get positive attention on a case, you stand a chance of greater success, but it's not a good idea to put anything out during a murder investigation unless it's cleared by the investigating sergeant. There may be some inaccuracies and things that are not helpful." Longmire said police have the necessary resources to pursue the case, which he said was "progressing." "You can always have more, but I think what we have now is adequate," Longmire said. "As long as what you do have is coordinated accurately -- we seem to do a pretty good job." But Ortiz doesn't agree. He challenged Oakland Mayor Jerry Brown to give police more to work with and threatened to arrange a boycott of future elections if he doesn't. Ortiz said he believes the killer is still in the area and is still dangerous. "If you kill someone for money, that means you don't have any money," Ortiz said. "If you don't have any money, you can't go anywhere. This guy is still here." As Ortiz addressed the media, friends spoke to gas station patrons and local residents who passed by. One woman said she had seen much of the incident, but had not called police yet because she didn't feel she could help. Ortiz told her every small piece of information is useful. Magdelena Sanchez-Espinoza held her son, Anthony, as she spoke about her husband. "This wasn't supposed to happen to him," she said. "He was just trying to make it home. He was a good father. He was a good person." Sanchez-Espinoza said her husband was coming home from a friend's wedding and had stopped to put gas in his car when he was killed. Espinoza worked in the area, she said, and probably felt safe. A local man whose balcony overlooks the gas station said Espinoza's murder was one of several at the Arco station. "I've seen three people die here since I've lived here," said Rick Baucus, who has lived in the apartment 30 years. "It happens, and unfortunately you kind of start to get used to it. Its so sad, for this family. I would like to see the person who shot him be caught. They need closure." Anyone with information regarding the murder of Espinoza may call Sgt. Galindo at 238-3821. |
| Police identify man held in Espinoza shooting case September 19, 2000 By Harry Harris and Mike Martinez STAFF WRITERS OAKLAND -- He won't understand the significance until much later, but Anthony Espinoza got probably the most important gift he could for his first birthday -- the arrest of the man who police say killed his father. Police said Monday that Michael Ringo, 19, has been arrested in connection with the Sept. 10 shooting death of Nicholas Espinoza, 20, gunned down at a West Oakland gas station during a robbery attempt gone bad. Ringo, on probation for a drug conviction, will be arraigned today in Alameda County Superior Court. He is being held without bail at the Oakland City Jail. Homicide Sgt. Derwin Longmire said Ringo, who was arrested Saturday following a high-speed, wreck-filled chase, has admitted his involvement in the killing. Ringo, who police said did not know Nicholas Espinoza, allegedly intended to rob him while he was pumping gasoline at a station at 34th Street and San Pablo Avenue. Instead, Espinoza was shot, and his assailant fled without taking anything. Longmire said Ringo was at the station with another person who has not been arrested in the killing. Ringo's name surfaced as the suspect shortly after the shooting, and police began seeking him. He was spotted Saturday afternoon and led several officers on a high-speed chase, during which he hit several cars before being forced off the road by police. Community Policing Officer Devon Underwood suffered a broken arm during the chase. Longmire singled out Underwood and Vice Officer Eric Richolt, and Community Policing Officers Larry Robertson, Dominic Arotarena, Ian Summit, and Stan Mock for the hard work they put into the case. Espinoza's family heard about Ringo's arrest Saturday evening, during Anthony's first birthday party. Marcelina Sanchez, Espinoza's sister-in-law, said relatives from as far away as Los Angeles, who were in town for the Espinoza funeral Thursday and remained for Saturday's party, heard the news. "It was a good (gift)," Sanchez said. "There was some tension and sadness (at the party because) his father couldn't be there. (Anthony) sees pictures all over the place and says 'Dada.' He probably wonders why he hasn't seen the real thing." She said her sister, Magdalena Sanchez-Espinoza, told everyone at the party to keep visiting the baby and let him know what a great person his father was. Sanchez-Espinoza does not want him growing up not knowing anything about his father. Sanchez said she plans on attending Ringo's arraignment but is not sure her sister will attend. "I want to thank everyone for all their help and support," Sanchez said. "I also want to thank Sgt. Longmire and his crew for all their hard work to get this guy off the street." Homicide Lt. Paul Berlin said the arrest of Ringo "is an excellent example of what can be accomplished when separate units in the department work together as a team. This was good, old-fashioned police work." |
| Police arrest suspect in gas station killing September 18, 2000 By Mike Martinez and Sean Smith STAFF WRITERS OAKLAND -- A police chase through city streets Saturday afternoon ended police officers' search for the man they believe killed and robbed motorist Nicholas Espinoza on Sept. 10. The chase began about 2:30 p.m. Saturday on Martin Luther King Jr. Way when officers spotted the suspect, who was driving a Mazda. It ended when police officers rammed the suspect's speeding car on Hawthorne Avenue near Summit Medical Center and arrested the driver. The man's name is being withheld pending review of the case by the Alameda County District Attorney's office, said Oakland Homicide Sgt. Derwin Longmire. The sergeant said the suspect has a history with the Oakland Police Department and is currently on probation. Police have been looking for the man since Espinoza was robbed, shot in the back and killed at an Arco gas station on 34th Street and San Pablo Avenue about 5 a.m. Sept. 10. Longmire said the suspect, described as a 19-year-old man from Oakland, has admitted to the crime, adding that he didn't know his victim. A reward totalling $30,000 has been offered for information leading to the arrest of a suspect. Arco offered $25,000 and the Oakland Police Department offered the rest. Longmire said police had to run the suspect off the road after the chase became reckless. The suspect was taken to Highland Hospital where he was treated and released before being arrested by Oakland police officers. "They said he was blowing red light after red light and had no regard for people's safety," Longmire said. The homicide investigator said they knew who they were looking for soon after Espinoza's murder. Longmire credited Oakland police officers Eric Richolt, Larry Robertson, Devon Underwood, Dominic Arotzarena, Ian Summit and Stan Mock for their endless hours of work to break the case. Amidst a barrage of news reporters, photographers and videographers Saturday afternoon, family spokesman Jose Ortiz challenged the city to do more to bring justice to the killer on behalf of Espinoza's son, Anthony, whose first birthday was Friday. "We've cried all week, but now its time to stop crying and to start fighting for justice," Ortiz said. "I want for Nicholas' baby to be able to know who did this." Magdelena Sanchez-Espinoza said her husband was coming home from a friend's wedding and stopped to put gas in his car when he was killed. Espinoza worked in the area, she said, and probably felt it was safe. "This wasn't supposed to happen to him," she said. "He was just trying to make it home. He was a good father. He was a good person." |