Full Notification

Today, San Leandro Police are releasing photos of a vehicle of interest in Sunday’s homicide investigation, as well as the name and photo of the suspect responsible for the July 2016 kidnapping of a woman, who was saved by a good Samaritan.  

POLICE SEEK PUBLIC’S ASSISTANCE IN FINDING VAN SEEN DURING HOMICIDE:

San Leandro Police detectives are seeking the public’s assistance in identifying the owner and whereabouts of a white van captured in surveillance videos following a homicide on Marina Blvd. on Sunday night.

At about 9:45pm, 45 year old San Leandro resident, Wardell Taliaferro, his girlfriend, and young children were driving west on Marina Blvd. when they became victims of what police believe began as an incident of road rage.  Surveillance video in the area captured the incident.  However, due to their on-going investigation, police are not releasing the video, citing it as a critical piece of evidence.

As Taliaferro continued to drive on Marina Blvd. near Verna Ct., he was shot by an unknown assailant that was in another vehicle near him.  Taliaferro’s girlfriend drove him to nearby Kaiser Hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries.  Fortunately, neither Taliaferro’s girlfriend nor the children were harmed.

Detectives are now seeking the public’s help in finding the distinct-looking van, which police say was captured on surveillance footage in close proximity to Taliaferro’s SUV at the time of the shooting.  

The attached image shows the white, American-made mini-van with a custom, conversion-style roof that appears to be 6”-8” taller than the standard height of most vans.  Investigators say that the wheels appear to be black in color and possibly have had the hubcaps removed.  

“We don’t know what involvement, if any, that the van and its occupants play in this investigation.  Based on the video, we do know that they could hold the missing link to solving this tragic incident,” stated Lt. Robert McManus.  “During cases like this, we have to consider every possibility.  We don’t know if the occupants may have been shot at too, if they are witnesses to the horrific incident, or if they are suspects in this senseless crime.  That is why it is so important for us to find and interview them immediately,” he said.

Detectives are asking anyone with information about the van, its owner, or who was in it when the homicide occurred to contact them immediately.

POLICE RELEASE NAME AND PHOTO OF JULY KIDNAPPING SUSPECT:

After several months following the kidnapping of a woman in July 2016, and the arrest of the suspect out of state more than 6 weeks later, police are now releasing the name and photo of the suspect who police have identified as 43 year old James Jenkins of Laguna Nigel, CA.  

Police previously withheld the release of this information until they were able to conclude that Jenkins was not linked to any other unsolved or unreported crimes in California or Michigan.  

On July 28, 2016 at 7:45am, a woman walking in the 14700 block of Washington Ave. was attacked in an unprovoked assault by Jenkins, who police say sprayed her in the face with a chemical agent and was in the process of kidnapping her, before being stopped by a good Samaritan, who came to the woman’s aid. 

After releasing surveillance photos of the suspect’s silver Nissan to Bay Area media outlets, police received information that the car had been abandoned near the Oakland International Airport.  Police recovered the car, which broke their case, eventually leading them to Jenkins, who had flown from Oakland to the Detroit area, hours after the July 28th kidnapping.

Detectives worked with the Alameda County District Attorney, as well as with local authorities and the US Marshalls in Detroit and nearby cities and obtained a warrant for Jenkins’ arrest for crimes including kidnapping, carjacking and assault with a deadly weapon.  

Jenkins was arrested in early September by the US Marshall’s Fugitive Apprehension Team and was later extradited to California to stand trial for the crimes committed on July 28, 2016.

Jenkins, who was charged by the Alameda County District Attorney when his arrest warrant was issued, remains in custody at Santa Rita Jail in Dublin, in lieu of $595,000 bail.  He is scheduled to appear in the Alameda County Superior Court in Hayward on March 8, 2017.