OAKLAND – A third suspect has been arrested in connection with the fatal shooting of security guard and retired police officer Kevin Nishita more than two years ago in Oakland, according to media reports.
U.S. Marshals took Laron Gilbert into custody Wednesday near Kansas City, NBC Bay Area and KRON-TV reported.
Gilbert, along with Shadihia Mitchell and Herschel Hale, is accused of gunning down Nishita during the attempted robbery of a KRON-TV news crew on Nov. 27, 2021. At the time, Nishita was working for Star Protection Agency to guard the news crew.
All three men were arrested shortly after the killing, but police failed to book Gilbert on a murder warrant, according to Alameda County Public Defender Brendon Woods, whose office is representing Mitchell and has fingered Gilbert at the triggerman.
In a recent statement, Woods said Gilbert went on the run while investigators including Oakland police Detective Phong Tran “tried to cover up their incompetence by skewing the case to make it seem like our client was the shooter.”
Prosecutors originally charged Mitchell with personally killing Nishita, but that allegation was dropped.
Last month, Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price also dropped sentencing enhancements that would have made the trio eligible for life without parole.
Gilbert, Mitchell and Hale still face 25 years to life if convicted of first-degree murder charges, as well as additional years if they are also found guilty of lesser charges of robbery, assault with a firearm and gun possession.
Price did not explain the rationale for dropping the enhancements. When she was elected in 2022, she argued against charging people with crimes that carry the death penalty or life without parole. Her office has dropped enhancements in other cases, including an accused serial killer charged with murdering two women and a girl.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.