Victim identified in Union City homicide, police say neighborhood not high-crime area
Victim identified in Union City homicide
A Union City homicide victim has been identified. Terelle Arlando Martin, 35, a father of young children and cousin of an Oakland police officer, was gunned down Sunday night while he was inside his car. Family members say he couldn't have been targeted, but police say it's possible, but don't know why.
UNION CITY, Calif. - Union City police say 35-year-old Terelle Arlando Martin might have been targeted in a shooting Sunday night, when someone gunned him down while he was in the driver's seat of a car just down the street from his home.
At dusk on Monday, neighbors brought out candles lighting the spot where he was killed.
"Terelle was a great man, father, never had his hands in anything," said Freddy Williams, an Oakland police officer who says Martin was his cousin.
"I'm just going to miss his smile, and his attitude of life and just how much of a loving person he was," said Williams.
Williams said his cousin had just returned from a child's birthday party.
Union City police said they got a call about 8:25 p.m. Sunday. When they arrived at the scene on 7th Street near H Street, they found Martin bleeding in the driver's seat of a car.
"I just heard a bunch of gunfire like rapid fire," said Ron Garcia, who says he lives nearby and ran out minutes later.
"Seen a car parked over there with about 35 bullet holes from the front tire to the back tire," said Garcia, "Condolences out to the family. Especially this time of year almost Christmas."
"It could have hit anyone on this side of the street," said Jaime Patino, a Union City Council Member who lives nearby. He says one house was hit by a bullet.
"There's a bullet in the window. The family was there at the time. They were watching TV," said Patino, "We cannot have these people on the loose. They recklessly fired at this guy and could have easily killed other people."
Union City Police say the neighborhood is not a high crime area.
"This was a little bit surprising even to us for our officers," said Sgt. Brandon Hayward, a Union City Police Department spokesman.
"Judging by the number of rounds that hit the vehicle itself as well as the victim, that that was the intended target," said Sgt. Hayward.
Sgt. Hayward says it appears multiple weapons were used in the attack.
Police are asking the public for tips.
"We also are asking anyone who has Ring cameras on their house, any surveillance videos, anything of that nature to review that footage around that time frame," said Sgt. Hayward.
Williams says this is the second time his cousin's family has lost someone in a shooting.
"His brother who was murdered in Stockton in a car from mistaken identity, so my family, my grandparents have just lost a lot of children due to gun violence," said Williams.
There is a Gofundme site to help the family with expenses.