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Oakland Neighborhood Barbecue Chef Murdered In Front Of Fiancée; Reward Offered

OAKLAND (CBS SF) --  Police were offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to an arrest of the person who shot and killed a neighborhood chef in North Oakland Sunday as he was wrapping up a day of selling barbecue with his fiancée.

Friends and family mourned the loss of Vallejo barbecue chef Eric "Trill" Harvis, 42, on Facebook Monday after he was gunned down in the 800 block of 46th Street at about 7:20 p.m. Sunday, according to police.

Harvis had been selling his food in his hometown of Oakland in order to save up for his and his fiancée's dream wedding next summer.

Police said he was shot multiple times and was pronounced dead about 15 minutes later. Police have not released any information about a possible motive or suspect in the shooting.

Harvis had been selling barbecue in a 46th Street driveway in his old North Oakland neighborhood for several weekends. He advertised on Instagram before arriving Saturdays and Sundays.

Dinner plates started at $10 each and he cooked a variety of dishes, including smoked ribs, hot links, greens, potatoes, beans and cake.

Harvis had an adult daughter who lives in Sacramento whom he spoke to daily. He was planning his 43rd birthday party in November, friends wrote on Facebook.

Dozens of friends and family expressed their grief over his loss on social media Monday.

"He wanted to continue his get-togethers with friends and family so we can take time to forget about our daily lives and just come together and have a good time with love and food he cooked," one poster wrote.

Harvis's death was one of three in a bloody weekend in Oakland. A man was found with multiple stab wounds inside a West Oakland home in the 1400 block of Chestnut Street at about 9:15 p.m. Sunday.

Earlier in the weekend, a male victim was found fatally shot in the 800 block of Mead Avenue at 2:16 a.m. Saturday.

Police have released few details about the killings and have announced no arrests.

 

© Copyright 2014 by CBS San Francisco and Bay City News Service. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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