Watch CBS News

Pair Plead Not Guilty To Fatal Shooting Of Oakland Girl At Sleepover

OAKLAND (CBS SF) -- Two reputed gang members who are suspects in the shooting death of 8-year-old Alaysha Carradine in East Oakland in July pleaded not guilty Monday to murder and attempted murder charges stemming from the incident.

Prosecutors allege that 22-year-old Darnell Williams of Oakland killed Alaysha and wounded three others by firing multiple shots into an apartment in the 3400 block of Wilson Street at about 11:15 p.m. on July 17 and that 27-year-old Joseph Carroll, also of Oakland, helped plan the attack.

Prosecutors allege that Carroll, Williams and others planned the shooting in retaliation for the shooting of reputed gang member Jermaine Davis in the 1800 block of Derby Street in Berkeley about four hours earlier, at 6:52 p.m. that evening.

Davis was Carroll's cousin and a close friend of Williams, according to a probable cause statement by Oakland police Officer Robert Rosin.

Prosecutors haven't disclosed the name of the man Williams allegedly was trying to kill but said Williams and his associates believed he was at the apartment where Alaysha and her friends were having a sleepover party.

Rosin said Williams went to the Wilson Street apartment, rang the doorbell, pointed a gun at the door and fired "numerous" shots at Alaysha and two other children who opened the door.

Prosecutors allege that bullets fired by Williams killed Alaysha and injured three other people: Alaysha's friend, 7-year-old Amanda York, Amanda's brother, 4-year-old Antoine York, and their 63-year-old grandmother, Clara Fields.

Williams and Carroll are charged with one count of murder and three counts of attempted murder for the shooting.

No one has been arrested for the death of Davis.

Williams is charged with a second count of murder in the same criminal complaint for allegedly fatally shooting 22-year-old Anthony Medearis in the 1400 block of Eighth Street in Berkeley at about 5:45 p.m. on Sept. 8, about seven weeks after Alaysha was killed.

Prosecutors said Williams and Medearis had been friends but for some reason Williams decided to rob and kill Medearis at a dice game to which Williams brought his 7-year-old nephew.

Williams and co-defendant Laquana Nuno, 28, who also is charged with murder for Medearis' death, both pleaded not guilty today in that incident.

Williams faces three special circumstance murder allegations that could result in the death penalty if he's convicted: committing multiple murders, lying in wait in the fatal shooting of Alaysha and attempting to commit a robbery during the course of murdering Medearis.

Alameda County Superior Court Judge Paul Delucchi on Monday set a preliminary hearing for Williams, Carroll and Nuno for Jan. 6.

(Copyright 2013 by CBS San Francisco and Bay City News Service. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.