The UC Berkeley Police Department on Wednesday released a sketch of a suspect in a three-year-old Berkeley hills homicide case in which a 21-year-old Fremont man was fatally shot after trying to break up a fight.
Alberto Santana-Silva was shot and killed on Mother’s Day 2013 after he intervened in a disturbance between two groups of strangers on Grizzly Peak Boulevard. The suspect is believed to be Hispanic or Filipino, in his mid-20s to mid-30s, about 5 feet, 8 inches tall and weighing about 200 pounds. He had hair close to his head, possibly pulled into a pony-tail and was seen with a young woman who was black, Asian or Filipino, with dark hair and a pony-tail.
UC Berkeley police said they have identified persons of interest, but no arrests have been made. They also have identified three cars that may have been associated with the groups: a red 2000 Chevrolet Caprice with large chrome wheels, a white Chevrolet Suburban and a dark-colored compact car with a chrome exhaust pipe.
Police are offering a $10,000 reward for an arrest and conviction in the case, and the victim’s family is making a plea for justice.
"No matter how much time passes, we’re going to stand and fight for justice," said Maribel Santana, the victim’s sister. On the day her brother was killed, she and her mother were waiting to join him for a Mother’s Day lunch, she said.
Santana-Silva enjoyed going to the East Bay hills, his sister said, because it brought him peace. On the morning of May 12, 2013, he went to outlook No. 16 on Grizzly Peak. There, he saw two groups fighting and tried to intervene. The suspect, who was among the groups, left the scene and returned with a gun, according to a police report. He then shot Santana-Silva in his car. Santana-Silva was able to drive a short distance before he died on the side of the road.
Santana-Silva was a student at Ohlone College, where he was studying to be a paramedic.
