Suspect Arrested In Fatal Shooting Of East Bay Woman Walking Her Dog

SAN LEANDRO, CA – The San Leandro Police Department arrested a 21-year-old man on suspicion of murdering a woman who was shot Thursday while walking her dogs.

Shortly after 11 p.m. on Thursday, San Leandro police officers responded to a shooting at the intersection of East 14th St. and Williams St. Officers at the scene found an unresponsive woman suffering from at least one gunshot wound to her torso. She was transported to a local hospital but died as a result of her injuries, according to San Leandro police.

The woman and her boyfriend were walking their dogs on the 1800 block of East 14th St. when the shooter’s vehicle pulled over near them.

“The suspect exited the vehicle and accosted the couple. After a brief interaction, the suspect drew a firearm and shot the victim once in the torso," San Leandro Police Department officials said in a written statement. "The suspect then got back into his car and fled the scene. The victim’s boyfriend and the two dogs were physically unharmed.”

San Leandro investigators learned that the Dublin Police Department made an arrest shortly before midnight that involved a suspect in possession of a firearm. The circumstances leading up to that arrest and the descriptions of the suspect and his vehicle closely matched those from the San Leandro homicide, according to police.

San Leandro detectives were able to develop more evidence based on this lead and arrested 21-year-old Rohith Sunil of San Jose.

The San Leandro Police Department noted parallels between this case and the murder of another victim walking his dog in June. The investigation thus far “has found no connection between the two homicides or between the suspects arrested in each case,” a police department spokesperson announced. “We have also found no basis to believe they are part of a mounting pattern.”

The case will be presented to the Alameda County District Attorney’s office for prosecution, according to the San Leandro Police Department.

While an arrest has been made, San Leandro Police Department continues to urge anyone with additional information regarding this incident to contact them via any of the following methods: Detective C. Pricco at (510) 577-3244, via an anonymous tip line at (510) 577-3278, or via Text-to-Tip at 888777 (keyword: TipSLPolice).