Rob AriasIn this edition of our Bi-Weekly newsletter, we share five stories relevant to Emeryville that you may have missed including:
- The annual Shellmound 2 Shellmound Prayer walk draws big crowd
- A cache of fireworks detonated in West Oakland
- A recent storm flooded the EBMUD tunnel and lot near Target
- Another “Ram-Raiding” burglary on San Pablo Avenue
- Jurors are expected to deliberate this week in the Bob Lee murder trial
San Pablo Avenue Convenience Store “Ram-Raided”
Another brazen “Ram-Raiding” burglary took place in Emeryville on November 23rd. This time at the Nirvana mini-mart store on the corner of San Pablo Avenue and Peralta Street.
In Ram-raiding, a typically stolen vehicle is used as a battering ram to gain entry to the space while the culprits pilfer the inventory and flee in the vehicle or another awaiting vehicle. It’s unclear if the U-Haul van used in this incident was intentionally abandoned or disabled when it was lodged in the entryway of the store.
The perpetrators escaped prior to being caught.
Video footage: @jordanpotier25
As has become an annual tradition, the Shellmound 2 Shellmound prayer walk took place on Friday November 29 coinciding with the “Black Friday” shopping day. The well-organized event evolved from the annual Black Friday Bay Street protests that began around when the mall was built in 2002.
Marchers began at the former “Spengers Lot” at Berkeley’s 4th Street shopping area, which was also once a historic Shell Mound. They proceeded south to Bay Street which was once the site of the largest of the 425 Shell Mounds documented in the bay.
The event was well attended and attracted people from other class struggles including protesters of the Israel-Gaza conflict. The Emeryville PD issued an alert for vehicles to steer clear of the area that was blocked by pedestrians but there were no confrontations or arrests that we’re aware of.
This year might be considered a “victory lap” for ancestors of these Ohlone tribes as the Berkeley 4th street lot was recently acquired by the City of Berkeley and donated (or “rematriated” in their terms) to the Sogorea Te Land Trust.
They are currently formulating plans and fundraising to turn the lot into a community site that honors the Ohlone people and their culture.
— kehinde❤️🔥 (@kendybykehinde) November 24, 2024
Neighbors Startled by Massive Fireworks Display
Emeryville and West Oakland residents reacted to a flurry of explosions that occurred on Sunday, November 24 at about 10 p.m.
Initial thoughts were that it might be weaponry because of the cadence of the blasts but soon realized it was an impromptu fireworks show. The explosions continued for an estimated 5 minutes.
It was initially unclear if the large cache of fireworks was accidentally or intentionally detonated.
One commenter on our platform who identified themselves as an “occasional professional fireworks tech” assessed that they were likely intentional. “From the photos of the aftermath, that was a bunch of large multi-shot cakes and trays lit off in the street together or in rapid sequence. They were spaced far enough apart to make that happen, I very much doubt this was by accident. Someone – or several someones- spent a bunch of money and went for a short but big show.”
Video from a security guard at Baller’s Field
byu/Pop-Upset inoakland
The epicenter of the “show” was on 20th & Campbell near Raimondi Park.
Crews for The Ballers Baseball team that plays at the stadium filled dumpsters with the spent tubes and other “fallout” the next morning.
There were no reported damages to the field or arrests according to The Oaklandside.
EBMUD Subway Flooded by Torrential Storm
The November 25th storm caused quite a bit of chaos around the Bay Area including near the Emeryville Target.
A photo shared by the Emeryville Police Department showed a disabled car stranded in what looks like two feet of water.
The tunnel used as a connector from the lot to the EBMUD Water treatment plant (once used by the Key System) was completely submerged.
The following day, photos of the underpass resembled a canal. It has since been drained.
Lee Murder Trial Heads for Deliberation
Deliberations by jurors in the Bob Lee murder trial are expected to begin this week.
Nima Momeni, an Emeryville resident at the time time of Lee’s killing, is being accused of his murder. The trial has gripped the country for its salaciousness which includes sex, drugs, and wealth.
Momeni’s attorneys have attempted to portray Lee as the aggressor in the incident and argue that the many recreational drugs found in Lee’s system are to blame for his temper.
The SF Chronicle has a nice synopsis of the trial and think the decision will come down to whether Momeni’s attorneys were able to convince the jury that Lee was capable of attacking Momeni. DNA found on the recovered paring knife used in the stabbing was almost entirely Momeni’s.
If convicted of first-degree murder, Momeni could face 25 years to life in prison. A manslaughter conviction could fetch as little as two years.
