FBI Steps In To Help Overworked Oakland Homicide Investigators
OAKLAND (KPIX 5) – Just 10 Oakland police detectives work the streets every day. Now, the FBI is stepping in to help.
The partnership between police and the feds has one mother hoping to finally get answers in her son's murder.
"Twenty-five, he would be a quarter of a century old," said Maria Climaco, whose son Aya Nakano was killed two years ago.
Two men shot Nakano in West Oakland right before his 23rd birthday. Nakano asked for their insurance after they hit his car.
Climaco quit her job to focus on finding justice for her only child.
"He not just than my son, you know. He was my best friend," she told KPIX 5.
Climaco saturated Oakland with billboards, even offered hefty rewards. The police released a grainy picture of the suspects' car, but no arrests. She hopes OPD's partnership with the FBI will bring some life back into the case.
Ten FBI agents will join Oakland's overworked homicide unit.
"To be able to essentially double the staff of my homicide section is really, really helpful," said Chief Sean Whent of the Oakland Police Department.
Lt. Roland Holmgren is commander of the Oakland Police homicide section. He said, "They're providing us with technical assistance, utilization of their facilities like their labs."
Right now, there are only 10 homicide investigators and one cold case detective working in a small office.
Oakland still has 326 unsolved homicides between 2010 and 2014 alone. That's about 32 cases per investigator.
"I really think it's going to make us more effective. We've seen our clearance rate start to come up since we have had this partnership," Whent said.
Climaco believes doubling the department and getting access to federal resources will make a dent on the unsolved cases, but she's not waiting around, She plans to double the reward.
"I want Aya to have his day in court," Climaco said.
