2nd Arrest Made In Shooting Death Of 3-Year-Old Oakland Boy
OAKLAND (CBS 5) -- A second man has been arrested in the death of a 3-year-old boy who was killed in a drive-by shooting along a busy Oakland street, authorities said Monday.
Willie Torrence of Oakland, a parolee with a prior weapons conviction, was taken into custody in Las Vegas on Friday night by police and Federal Bureau of Investigation agents there.
"He is believed to be the driver during the shooting of Carlos Nava," who was with his mother and riding in a stroller at a corner strip mall along International Blvd. last Monday, said Oakland police spokeswoman Holly Joshi.
Suspected gang member Lawrence Denard, another parolee with a previous grand theft conviction, was arrested and charged with murder last week. Police said he was the gunman.
In Oakland, which has seen more than its share of murders, the shooting has resonated with citizens from all walks of life. A steady stream of mourners visits a growing makeshift memorial with teddy bears, toys and candles at the scene of the daytime attack - which also wounded two men who police said were the intended targets.
"This struck a nerve. Maybe the loss of Carlos and his innocence will wake this city up," OPD Chief Anthony Batts said.
"This needs to be a catalyst for the city to change," he added, indicating that Oakland would be safer if police had more resources.
Alameda County District Attorney Nancy O'Malley has said the brazen shooting has rocked law enforcement as well as the community.
"Any life lost to violence is a tragedy, but when it is a child, all of our grief and all of our outrage is magnified," O'Malley said.
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