Two men plead guilty to security officer murder
OAKLAND CA November 29 2018 — In a rare move, at least one Oakland man held responsible for the 2014 death of a security guard pleaded guilty to his murder Monday, avoiding life in prison without parole.
Three other defendants took plea deals on Monday, in a packaged deal that will avoid a trial.
Tony Alonzo Reed, 27, pleaded guilty to the first-degree murder of 20-year-old Hamilton Rodriguez-Ramos, an Oakland resident who was robbed and shot Dec. 5, 2014, in the 500 block of 37th Street in Oakland near the MacArthur BART station.
Rodriguez-Ramos, a security guard at a hair supply business in East Oakland, died from his wounds four days later.
Reed is one of four defendants accused of luring Rodriguez-Ramos to a quiet area of 37th Street, an area where they hung out, to rob him. Police said at the time of the crime, that he was shot without provocation and robbed of cash and other items. His car was later recovered near the home of someone related to Reed, police said.
Besides Reed, co-defendant Amari Harmon, 21, of San Leandro, also took a plea deal Monday, agreeing to plead “no contest” to one count of first-degree murder. Harmon was 17 years old at the time, and was suspected of being the shooter.
Harmon knew Rodriguez-Ramos for several years, as they had both attended Encinal High School together in Alameda, police said.
Both Harmon and Reed had been charged with the special circumstance murder, but by taking plea deal, will each be sentenced 25 years to life in prison, avoiding the harshest prison sentence of life without the possibility of parole.
The other two men, Steven Hall, 27, of Oakland, and Joel Robinson, 24, of Berkeley, also took plea deals Monday, pleading no contest to one count each of carjacking, admitting that they were armed during the crime, agreeing to sentences of eight years in state prison for each.
Both men had their charges of special circumstance murder reduced in the plea deal, and similarly avoided life in prison without parole.
The parents of Rodriguez-Ramos sat in the courtroom Monday, listening in on the hearings of their son’s four accused killers. Attorney Stephen Avila, who represents Robinson, went over to them and could be heard in court telling them: “On behalf of my client, we’re really sorry about what happened.” Avila then shook their hands.
Hall’s attorney, David Briggs, said he expects his client to be out of prison in less than three years, after some credit for time served, and credit for good behavior.
“Steven Hall never wanted any of this to happen. He found himself in a terrible situation,” Briggs said.
He said his client, who brought with him to court two books, has plans to go to college and become a writer.
All four defendants are expected to be sentenced on Jan. 9.
East Bay Times
