Attempted murder arrest made in domestic violence shooting
Darius Tate has a history of violence with the victim, a 19-year-old woman with a 1-year-old baby, according to court papers and community reports.
Berkeley police have arrested the suspect in a recent shooting that left a young woman's teeth scattered in the roadway, according to court records.
On Wednesday evening, investigators arrested 19-year-old Darius Tate, described in court papers as an ex-boyfriend with a "history of domestic violence" with the victim, a 19-year-old woman with a 1-year-old baby.
According to court records, the two had dated for six months but were no longer together at the time of the crime.
During Wednesday's arrest, detectives "recovered two loaded handguns and additional evidence believed to be connected to the shooting," Berkeley police said Thursday.
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Tate is now being held in two separate cases, including on suspicion of attempted murder, with arraignment set for Friday, according to booking records.
Police have been looking for Tate, who lives in Hayward, since the June 14 shooting in South Berkeley, according to court papers.
That night, he showed up unannounced at his ex-girlfriend's apartment at about 11, police wrote. They argued and he was violent with her, according to court papers.
When Tate left, she went outside, concerned he would damage her car, which he'd done before, police wrote.
As she walked toward the car, which was parked near Adeline Street and Ashby Avenue, Tate popped out from behind a bench or bushes, ran at her and started shooting, according to court papers.
As the young woman fell to the ground, Tate ran toward Ashby BART and disappeared — but not before stealing cash from the woman's car, according to police.
An elderly woman offered to drive the victim to the hospital, police wrote.
The young woman initially accepted but got out of the car when the driver started going the wrong way.
The victim flagged down police outside the Ashby Stage at 1901 Ashby Ave. The Berkeley Fire Department rushed her to Highland Hospital, the regional trauma center, for care.
The injuries to the young woman's face were extensive, according to early reports, leaving teeth and tissue in the street.
Police quickly secured an arrest warrant for Tate alleging attempted murder, but he proved to be elusive, authorities said.
That changed Thursday when they arrested him in San Leandro, according to jail records.
Darius Tate. BPD
Tate has no prior charged cases in Alameda County Superior Court, and no listed arrests before Wednesday.
In addition to the arrest warrant alleging attempted murder, Tate was also arrested on suspicion of domestic violence, robbery and loaded gun possession in connection with the shooting.
A second case, from April 30, lists domestic violence and vehicle tampering charges.
That day, at 11:25 a.m., police say Tate threw his ex-girlfriend on the ground and took her keys before damaging her car in the 2900 block of Adeline Street (in the same area as the June shooting).
He is being held without bail at Santa Rita Jail.
Emilie Raguso
Update: In a statement Thursday afternoon, police shared more details about this week's arrest, and said they had also arrested the suspect's mother, as an accessory after the fact.
Ann Fernandez. BPD
Ann Fernandez, 53, is being held on $100,000 bail, with arraignment also set for Friday, according to booking records.
According to BPD, Fernandez picked up Tate after the shooting — as captured on surveillance footage — and gave him a change of clothes to help him get away.
On Wednesday, detectives found Tate and his mother at an apartment complex in San Leandro, arresting Tate when he came outside, police said.
BPD used a drone, from the Alameda County Sheriff's Office, inside the complex during the search, authorities said.
They later arrested Fernandez elsewhere in San Leandro, police said.
In the immediate aftermath of the shooting at Adeline and Ashby, family members said the victim was "fighting for her life" in the ICU and unable to breathe on her own.
She lost half of her teeth in the attack, they said.
As of this week, Berkeley police said the young woman is "continuing to recover from her injuries."
As of July 30, Berkeley and UC police had investigated two injury shootings and six non-injury shootings this year.
Last year at this time, there had been eight non-injury shootings and a non-fatal police shooting.
Update, 8:40 p.m. The Alameda County district attorney's office has charged Darius Tate with attempted murder, domestic violence (from April and June), vehicle tampering and vandalism, according to court records.
The Scanner will continue to follow the case.
