Watch CBS News

Oakland Teen Accused In Fatal Shooting Of Older Sister To Be Charged As Juvenile

OAKLAND (CBS SF) - A 14-year-old boy was charged Thursday in connection with the shooting death of his 17-year-old sister in Oakland's Chinatown district last Thursday.

But Alameda County District Attorney spokeswoman Teresa Drenick said juvenile court laws bar her from disclosing the specific charge against Mario Toliver Jr. for the death of Justice Toliver at their family's apartment at 801 Webster St. at about 12:15 p.m. on Thursday.

Drenick said her office has decided to prosecute Toliver as a juvenile, not as an adult, but declined to comment on the reason for that decision.

Oakland attorney John Burris, whose office represents Toliver, said he hasn't seen the charge that was filed against Toliver but he believes it is either murder or manslaughter.

Drenick said the charge against Toliver will be announced on the record when he appears at the Juvenile Justice Center in San Leandro at 1:30 p.m. on Monday for a detention hearing.

Toliver was on the run from authorities for six days after the shooting but he turned himself in to Oakland police at 2:15 p.m. on Wednesday. He was accompanied by family members who had urged him to surrender.

Police haven't released a motive for the shooting, but a cousin, 22-year-old Marianna Gaston of Oakland, said she was told that Mario shot Justice because he was mad that she had bleached his clothes.

Burris said he and his colleagues had been speaking with Toliver and his family for several days and he's glad that Toliver finally turned himself in.

"We wanted him to be safe and we didn't want him to jeopardize himself," Burris said of Toliver.

© Copyright 2014 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 This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.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.