4 men indicted in deadly East Palo Alto shooting
4 men indicted in deadly East Palo Alto shooting
Four men have been indicted in a deadly shooting at a park in East Palo Alto earlier this year. A grand jury indicted the four on charges including assault with a deadly weapon. Prosecutors say two groups of men engaged in a gun battle at Jack Farrell Park on May 17, firing 33 shots as children were playing. One man was killed.
EAST PALO ALTO, Calif. - Four men have been indicted in a deadly shooting from last year at a park in East Palo Alto.
A grand jury indicted Miguel Bracamontes, 21, of East Palo Alto; Bobby Williams 49 of San Francisco; Luis Mariscal 38, of East Palo Alto; and Tyrone Darrell McNack, 20, of Union City on Friday, Aug. 4. The indictment included charges for assault with a deadly weapon.
Prosecutors in San Mateo County said two groups of men engaged in a gun battle at Jack Farrell Park in May 2022.
A man lost his life during the shootout but the D.A. says none of the suspects will face a murder charge. The D.A. says the scene was so chaotic, they were unable to prove who should be held responsible for taking Fields’ life.
On May 17th last year, East Palo Alto Police say a gun battle ensued in broad daylight at Jack Farrell Park. At least 33 rounds were fired during the shootout, and it all happened in front of children and families who were sent running for safety.
"We as a community, are not going back to the 1992–93 days when we were known as the murder capital of the United States per capita," said Pastor Paul Bains, an East Palo Alto community leader
Bains says residents in East Palo Alto are relieved that four people have been charged in connection with the shootout and the death of 34-year-old Ralph Fields. Fields was the cousin of NFL Player Davante Adams. Both the D.A. and police say tips and evidence from the community played a major role in identifying the suspects.
"That’s not going to be tolerated in East Palo Alto. So the community has stood up. They have both been vocal, and they have submitted their information privately, confidentially to the police dept. That’s what we’re going to continue to do as a community," Bains said.
"While some of the people we charged have been involved in gangs, this is not a gang conflict," said Steve Wagstaffe, San Mateo County District Attorney.
The suspects will not face a murder charge but between the four of them, they’ll face 25 felony charges and enhancements including assault with a deadly weapon and discharge of a firearm with gross negligence.
"In terms of the evidence that we’ve been able to put together that could present a case, we cannot show who started the firing of the weapons. Who acted in self-defense, and who was the aggressor? We have to be able to prove that beyond a reasonable doubt. That’s why we do not have that as to Mr. Fields, the person who was murdered out there on that day," Wagstaffe said.
The U.S. Marshal Service and Atherton Police were also involved in finding these suspects. The D.A. also says three of the four suspects were already in jail for other crimes when they were charged in this case.
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