Gunfire suspect ID'd as parolee with open carjacking case
Police say Ramon Lupian — who has a 20-year record — witnessed a robbery and then shot at the getaway driver after following him to Berkeley.
A man police say followed an alleged car thief to Berkeley and then shot at him has been charged with multiple felonies this week, authorities announced.
Berkeley police say Ramon Lupian, 46, witnessed the car theft in Oakland, shot at the driver and then took bags from the stolen car after the driver crashed and abandoned it.
Police have not explained whether Lupian had a connection to the stolen car or what may have been in the bags.
The initial events, which included a robbery, took place in Oakland on Oct. 4, police said.
No time or location were provided, nor were any details about the robbery or subsequent auto theft.
Just before 5:30 p.m. that day, BPD began to get calls about "gunfire involving a black Nissan Altima and a red Chevrolet Tahoe" on eastbound Ashby Avenue near the freeway.
Police previously described it as a gun battle. There were no reported injuries.
Emilie Raguso
A few minutes after the shooting, the driver of the Altima crashed into a parked vehicle at 67th and Hollis streets in Emeryville, about three blocks away.
All four of the Altima's occupants got out and left — but not before brandishing a gun at the parked car's owner, police said.
At some point, police said, Lupian and a woman showed up in the red Tahoe and "were observed removing two bags from the Altima before fleeing the area."
Emeryville police responded to the crash and detained all four Altima occupants — who had returned to the block for an unknown reason.
Officers never found a gun in the area despite an extensive search.
Oakland police did recover three firearms two days later when they arrested Lupian after a chase in their city.
At that time, OPD declined to release his name.
Emilie Raguso
On Wednesday, in a Nixle alert, Berkeley police identified Lupian (unhoused, Oakland) and shared some additional details about the shooting.
The Alameda County district attorney's office charged Lupian this week with shooting at an occupied motor vehicle, carrying a concealed firearm within a vehicle, carrying a loaded firearm in public, possession of a firearm by a felon, possession of ammunition by a prohibited person and possession of a short-barreled rifle or shotgun.
According to court records, he has a 2015 conviction for vehicle theft, a 2017 conviction for burglary and two separate 2019 convictions for carrying a concealed firearm in a vehicle.
Ramon Lupian. BPD
His last conviction, from 2023, was for assault with a firearm. It counted as a strike.
In total, Lupian has about a dozen charged chases in Alameda County dating back two decades, according to court records.
The early years were misdemeanor cases, with charges including battery, burglary and criminal threats.
His felony cases began in 2015, with two car theft cases in short order.
From 2021 through 2023, Lupian was charged with four serious felony cases in Alameda County.
- In March 2021, he was charged with a handful of crimes related to gun, ammunition and drug possession, along with felony evasion.
- In July 2021, he was charged with vehicle theft (with a prior), felony evasion and two counts of felony vandalism; along with four misdemeanors: being an unlicensed driver, hit-and-run driving, resisting arrest and vandalism.
- In January 2023, Lupian was charged again with possession of a firearm by a felon (along with allegations of committing new crimes while out on bail), carrying a loaded firearm, possession of a machine gun, possession of ammunition and possession of a controlled substance. There were also allegations that he possessed a "large quantity of contraband," was already on parole or probation (or other supervised release), and had exhibited unsatisfactory performance during supervision.
- Days after he was hit with that case, Lupian was charged with a slew of other crimes that allegedly had taken place a few weeks earlier, also in January 2023: kidnapping, assault with a firearm and felony evasion, along with a numerous enhancements.
On Sept. 16, 2024, due to a plea deal under the prior administration at the DA's office, Lupian was convicted of a single felony, assault with a firearm, and sentenced to two years at San Quentin.
The other charges in all four cases were dismissed due to the deal.
According to court records, Lupian had a parole revocation hearing in August of this year due to an administrative offense. (No other detail was provided.)
Another unspecified administrative offense was listed Oct. 10.
Lupian was also charged separately in August with three counts of attempted armed carjacking (at gunpoint), assault with a semiautomatic firearm, brandishing a gun at someone in a vehicle, auto theft, possession of a stolen vehicle, felony evasion against traffic, possession of a firearm by a felon, carrying a loaded firearm in public and possession of an assault weapon.
The circumstances of his release from custody in that case, which stemmed from events in Oakland in August, were not immediately available.
Lupian, who works as a ship mechanic, according to booking records, is set to enter a plea in the Berkeley case Thursday. He is being held without bail, for now, due to an alleged parole violation.
Berkeley police have not said whether anyone from the Altima — at least some of whom were juveniles — are facing charges.
Berkeley has had 14 shootings in 2025, including one by police. Last year there were 22 shootings in the same period.
