Last week, a woman in California was shot and killed while out for a walk late at night with her dogs and boyfriend. Police say a 21-year-old man pulled up in a car and “accosted the couple” before shooting them and then driving off in his car.
The crime happened Thursday night in Alameda County. The San Leandro Police Department said in a statement, “After a brief interaction, the suspect drew a gun and shot the victim once in the torso.” The police said that the victim’s boyfriend and the two dogs were not hurt.
The Dublin Police Department caught 21-year-old Rohith Sunil of San Jose just before midnight Thursday after he opened fire on a woman at East 14th and Williams streets in San Leandro at 11:11 p.m., according to a statement from the SLPD.
“The preliminary investigation revealed the victim, and her boyfriend, were walking their dogs in the 1800 block of East 14th Street when the suspect vehicle pulled over near them,” reports said. “The suspect exited the vehicle and accosted the couple.”
Sunil is said to have fired his gun at the two people after a short argument, then got back in his car and drove away. Police shared surveillance video that shows the woman who was shot and her boyfriend walking her dogs while holding hands right before the shooting happened. Police tried to rush the woman to a nearby hospital “but she did not survive,” SLPD officials said.
In the beginning, Sunhil was stopped by Dublin police for having a gun. The situation that led to his arrest and the details of the car that was used “closely matched those from the San Leandro homicide,” the SLPD said.
“Following up on this lead, SLPD detectives were able to develop more evidence and ultimately place 21-year-old Rohith Sunil of San Jose under arrest for murder,” the police said. “This case will be presented to the Alameda County District Attorney’s office for prosecution.”
Someone else was shot and killed in San Leandro a few weeks ago while walking their dogs, which has made people fear for their safety and police have been asked to say if the two cases are linked.
“We recognize the parallels between this case and last month’s murder of another victim walking his dog, and we acknowledge the public safety concerns this may raise within the community,” the agency said. So far, our investigation has shown that there is no link between the two murders or the suspects who were caught in both of them. We have also found no reason to think they are part of a trend of mounting.
However, people who live in the San Leandro area have told local news outlets that they aren’t sure if it’s safe to walk around at night. Police haven’t said what led to the most recent killing.
“I’m scared,” Dulce Macias, who lives in San Leandro, told the local news. “You can’t even go for a walk now.”
Even though someone has been arrested, the SLPD says they “urge anyone with additional information” about the latest event to call the police or the anonymous tip line.
