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Three suspected gang members, including one from Pleasanton, have been charged in the shooting death of a 5-year-old girl along an East Bay freeway on April 8, according to authorities.
Humberto Anaya, 29, of Fremont, Kristo Ayala Valderrama, 25, of Pleasanton, and Emmanuel Sarango, 27, of Fremont were arrested in Santa Cruz hours after the shooting took place along Interstate 880 in Fremont.
Eliyanah Crisostomo was shot in the heart as she was riding in a vehicle with her family to a family dinner.
“There is no reason young children should die on our Bay Area freeways,” Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price said in a statement Friday. “This behavior is absolutely unacceptable. We will not stand for gun violence and these three defendants will be held accountable for their despicable actions.”
Prosecutors allege that Anaya, Ayala Valderrama and Sarango are Fremont Sureno gang members who believed they were shooting into a car of rival gang members. Five other people were in the car with Eliyanah.
Each suspect has been charged with killing Eliyanah as well as other offenses. The three were driving a red Honda Accord and are alleged to have shot at another person in Fremont about 15 minutes earlier.
In shooting Eliyanah, the suspects flashed gang symbols, prosecutors said. Fremont police believe the other shooting was also gang-related.
Anaya, Ayala Valderrama and Sarango are in custody in Santa Rita Jail in Dublin. Anaya and Ayala Valderrama are expected to enter pleas on Thursday at the East County Hall of Justice in Dublin. Sarango is expected in court Monday to enter a plea.
All three defendants have been charged with murder, assault with a semiautomatic firearm and seven counts of shooting at an occupied motor vehicle. Ayala Valderrama and Anaya also face felony charges of carrying a concealed weapon in a vehicle and carrying a loaded firearm on their person in a city.
The civil complaint from the DA’s Office does not include any gang, gun or vulnerable victim enhancements or special allegations.
Editor’s note: Embarcadero Media East Bay editorial director Jeremy Walsh continued details about the criminal complaint to this story.
Editor’s note: Embarcadero Media East Bay editorial director Jeremy Walsh continued details about the criminal complaint to this story.
“”There is no reason young children should die on our Bay Area freeways,” Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price said in a statement Friday. “This behavior is absolutely unacceptable. We will not stand for gun violence and these three defendants will be held accountable for their despicable actions.””
Pamela Price trying to sound “tough on crime” – but revealing herself as something else. It is absolutely unacceptable and despicable to refer to deliberate criminal activity where innocent people were injured and/or killed as “gun violence”. Will Price find a way to plea bargain these defendants and “prosecute” the firearms instead?
Recall Pamela Price. Please sign the petition here:
https://www.change.org/p/recall-alameda-county-da-pamala-price