Oakland Police seek vehicle possibly linked to deadly stabbing near Lake Merritt
OAKLAND – Police in Oakland are searching for a vehicle possibly linked to a fatal stabbing next to Lake Merritt last weekend.
Around 3 a.m. Sunday, officers responded to the 1200 block of Lakeshore Avenue on reports of a stabbing. The victim was transported to a local hospital and later died.
Police have not released the victim's identity.
An eyewitness told KPIX 5 on Sunday that the victim was a male who was attacked by several suspects.
"I heard a big commotion and I came outside on the balcony and I saw, like, about five people beating up this guy," said a woman who declined to provide her name for fear of retaliation.
She said the attackers were two women and three men.
"They just were really beating him up, beating him up and, all of a sudden, the women said 'Oh, let's go! Let's go! Let's go!' So they all jumped in a car. The (victim) got up, then he stumbled, then he fell," the eyewitness said.
She went on to say that the victim had blood all over his chest and that there were other people standing nearby, including a security guard for her condo building. Those witnesses tried to help the victim after the attackers left.
Sunday's stabbing is at least the fourth homicide in the area since November of last year.
Police said Thursday that surveillance video at the time of the stabbing captured what was described as a "vehicle of interest" in the area. The vehicle was described as a Honda Civic sedan, with a sunroof and fading gray paint on the roof.
Crime Stoppers of Oakland is offering a reward of up to $10,000 for information that leads to an arrest.
Anyone with information about the stabbing is asked to call the Oakland Police Department's homicide section at 510-238-3821 or the department's tip line at 510-238-7950.
