OPD makes second arrest in shooting of three-year-old
on August 15, 2011
The Oakland Police Department announced Monday that officers have arrested a second suspect in connection with the drive-by shooting death of 3-year-old Carlos Nava in East Oakland last week.
22-year-old Oakland resident Willie Torrence, whom police believe was the driver of the car involved in the shooting, was arrested late Friday night in Las Vegas with the help of Vegas police and the FBI, according to the OPD’s press release. Torrence is currently on parole for a previous weapon conviction, police stated.
On Friday, the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office also filed murder charges against 26-year-old Lawrence Denard in connection with Nava’s death, as well as two counts of attempted murder related to the shooting of two adult men who were standing nearby during the attack. Police believe the men, both unrelated to Nava, were the intended targets of the drive-by; both survived.
The community has reacted to Nava’s death with vigils, while local leaders have called for a heightened police presence in Oakland.
The district attorney is expected to review Torrence’s case later this week.
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