(photo courtesy ABC7)
SAN LEANDRO – A man who apparently stole wooden pallets from the True World Foods distribution center was arrested and accused of murder, several hours after a warehouse employee was run over by a pick-up truck and killed on Monday.
Oakland police arrested Richmond resident Kadeem Edwards, 27, charging him with first degree murder. Edwards was taken into custody at 6:05 p.m. near a wooden pallet recycling center in Oakland, where officers patrolling East 14th Street near 47th Avenue spotted a white Ford F-250 pick-up truck that matched the description of the vehicle that ran over the warehouse employee shortly before noon.
When officers turned around to stop the pick-up truck, Edwards abandoned it and tried to elude them by walking away and hiding under a parked vehicle on 48th Avenue, where police said they found and arrested him without incident. Edwards was booked without bail at the Santa Rita Jail.
San Leandro detectives met with Oakland police and brought witnesses with them who saw the man being run over at 1815 Williams Street, San Leandro. Police and paramedics responded to 911 calls. The victim who has not yet been identified was pronounced dead at the warehouse.
Crime scene investigators from San Leandro police and the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office had earlier searched the area where the victim was killed for evidence and interviewed witnesses. The pick-up truck was recorded on surveillance video.
After interviewing witnesses and reviewing video evidence police concluded that warehouse employee may have tried to stop Edwards from stealing pallets, before Edwards drove the truck straight at him. Then the driver fled… temporarily.
