Police nab suspect in shooting

The sole suspect in last year's shooting of a Contra Costa College student police aide was arrested last week, Richmond police say.

Christon Parker, who is suspected of shooting Edgar Rocha just off campus at Shane Drive and Mills Avenue Nov. 8, 2007, was arrested Oct. 8 around 7:45 a.m. in Oakland, Richmond Police Department Detective Eric Haupt said.

Parker, 22, has been charged with attempted murder, felony possession of a firearm and attempted escape, Haupt said.

With the assistance of high-tech specialist Detective Aaron Pomeroy, Haupt said, the police and FBI were able to locate and arrest Parker.

"It's nice to get him off the streets," Pomeroy said. "He deserved to get arrested."

Parker has a two-page long criminal record, Haupt said in March, when Parker was identified as the suspect in the Nov. 8 shooting and was on probation for grand theft at the time.

Rocha was investigating suspicious activity that November afternoon near what is now Lot 10, when he drove the police aide golf cart off campus and confronted Parker, who allegedly shot him twice before fleeing on foot.

With the immediate assistance of other police aides, Police Services and Richmond and San Pablo police departments, Rocha was rushed to the hospital and has since made a full recovery.

A daylong search of the Hilltop, Fairmede area, which involved Police Services and a number of outside agencies, ended in no arrests.

In March, however, Haupt said, Parker's ex-girlfriend came forward when filing a report in an unrelated incident when she said she helped Parker escape police custody by giving misinformation to the police.

Since then and before the arrest of Parker, Haupt said, police tried to get information regarding his whereabouts by speaking with friends and family members with little to no luck.

There was a $1.5 million warrant for his arrest and up to a $15,000 reward for information leading to his arrest.

Police also tried tracing his cell phone, which led them to Oakland in April, but Parker had left his phone with someone days before police arrived, Haupt said.

Recently, however, Haupt said, FBI agents working out of the Richmond Police Department provided their efforts and assisted in the search and arrest of Parker last week.

Pomeroy, who has been working on the case since March, said an officer in Oakland found Parker in an apartment complex when a manager identified him and said he was living there.

"We located him in Oakland living with his current girlfriend and infant child in an apartment down near Lake Merritt," Haupt said. "We had a search warrant to pick (Parker) up."

"There was an FBI and Oakland (Police Department) task force in the back," he said. "There were almost 15 (officers) back there."

The arrest of Parker, however, went much like the search for him — with difficulties.

Haupt said when police were first at the door, Parker looked to escape out the back, but when he saw the number of officers, he gave up.

During his transportation, however, Parker was able to slip his handcuffs from behind his back to in front of him and run, Haupt said.

Because of the escape attempt, Haupt said, Parker was booked in Martinez.

The arrest of Parker also brings some closure to the campus, Police Services Chief Charles Gibson said.

"I'm happy he's no longer on the streets," he said. "There's closure for the families and for the police aides."

Contact Brett Abel at babel.advocate@gmail.com.