Man shot and killed in El Cerrito, police search for 2 suspects
El Cerrito homicide investigation
El Cerrito Police Department officers were called just after 12:15 p.m. to the parking lot of the Del Norte Plaza shopping center, located at 11299 San Pablo Ave., on reports of a shooting, according to a department statement.
EL CERRITO, Calif. - A man was shot and killed in El Cerrito on Sunday afternoon, and police are searching for two suspects.
A family member told KTVU the victim was a 21-year-old man from Oakland.
What we know:
El Cerrito Police Department officers were called just after 12:15 p.m. to the parking lot of the Del Norte Plaza shopping center, located at 11299 San Pablo Ave., on reports of a shooting, according to a department statement.
Officers found a young man shot near the Los Moles Restaurant, and he died of his wounds at the scene. His name was not released pending notification of his next of kin.
Family members and friends gathered at the scene throughout the afternoon and were visibly distraught. They declined to speak on camera as they grieved.
"Witnesses reported that the suspects became involved in an altercation with the victim at his car and shot him," El Cerrito police said.
A bullet hole could be seen in the windshield of a red car at the scene, with clothing and Crocs nearby, as investigators spent hours collecting evidence.
"I live this area a couple years, and I did not hear any kind of this situation," said El Cerrito resident Ghana Bhattarai. "I’m scared when I see lots of police vans, lots of people and I know someone died."
A woman working at a nearby business did not want to be identified, but described the panic she witnessed in the moments after the shooting.
"Most of the people were there with kids and they were really frightened," said the woman. "I saw people coming out of the restaurant real quick, at that moment and police were asking them what happened, what did you see?" she said.
The suspects:
El Cerrito Police released an image of the vehicle they believe the suspects were driving, described as a gray Nissan Maxima from model year 2016 or newer.
Police said the two suspects were last seen driving south on South 55th Street from Potrero Avenue.
The first suspect was described as a young man wearing a black mask and a black North Face puffy jacket.
The second suspect was described as a young man wearing a hat and a black Nike jacket.
Several surveillance cameras overlook the shopping center and surrounding area. Detectives spent hours interviewing witnesses and processing the parking lot for evidence before the victim’s car was towed.
An investigation into the shooting is ongoing, and anyone with information was asked to contact the ECPD at 510-237-3233.
The Source: El Cerrito Police Department, interviews with resident, store employee