Jashon Williams was reported missing to Oakland police early today by relatives of Zoelina Williams, who was found beaten and shot to death about 4 a.m. Friday at the park; the boy had not been in Williams’ care since Halloween, police said.
Police in both Berkeley and Oakland apparently did not know Williams had a child until the relatives notified police. Oakland police said she and Jashon had been living with relatives in West Oakland.
A suspect, Curtis Martin, 38, of Oakland, was arrested about 1 p.m. Friday as a suspect in Williams’ slaying. But police said that Martin so far is not talking about Williams’ death or the missing child. This afternoon, relatives of Williams said that Martin had told Williams that her son was in Vallejo.
Authorities said that Martin may have been driving Williams from Oakland to Vallejo early Friday before something happened to cause him to kill Williams and leave her at Aquatic Park. Authorities on Friday recovered a van believe used in the homicide.
It is still not clear what the relationship was between Martin and Williams and why she was killed.
About 25 Berkeley police officers and members of the Alameda County Search and Rescue Team began searching the park early in the morning; Search and Rescue Team divers finished shortly after noon. About 12:30, an inflatable boat arrived to continue the search of the estuary.
The search included at least three dogs, including one cadaver
dog.
“We are making sure that this area is searched and nothing is overlooked,” said Berkeley police Lt. Andrew Greenwood.
Teams have found nothing relevant to the case, such as clothing or personal items of a child, Greenwood said.
Oakland police also searched Williams’ and Martin’s houses, both on Chestnut Street in West Oakland. Greenwood would not comment on whether authorities are searching other ares in Berkeley, Oakland or surrounding cities.
Martin has a criminal record dating back to the early 1990s.
In February 1994, Martin was arrested in the beating death of 3-year-old Devin Brewer of Oakland, the son of his girlfriend at the time. The child died at an Oakland hospital the day after Martin took him for a haircut and returned him bruised and swollen.
Martin claimed the boy had fallen at the park.
He originally was charged with murder but was allowed to plead no contest to voluntary manslaughter in exchange for 11 years in prison, authorities said Friday. He was out of prison by 2000 because he was given credit for time served.
In 2008, he was arrested for violating a court order to prevent domestic violence. He was never prosecuted.
At the time of Devin’s slaying, Martin was on parole for robbery and previously was convicted of armed robbery, burglary and weapons violations.
Williams’ death marks Berkeley’s fifth homicide of the year.
Anyone with information about the missing child should contact the Oakland Police Department at 510-238-3641.
