Oakland

Suspect Charged With Murder, Robbery in Slain Muralist Case

The suspect charged in the shooting death of muralist Antonio Ramos was escorted out of an Oakland courtroom Tuesday after an outburst.

Along with a murder charge, Marquise Holloway has been slapped with multiple counts of robbery, according to the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office. The 20-year-old is accused of stealing camera equipment – at gunpoint – from a pair of film crews in Oakland last month. He also faces an attempted robbery charge from his face-off with Ramos.

A handcuffed Holloway seemed to be hyperventilating during his arraignment Tuesday. While listening to the list of felony charges he faces, a pained expression appeared on Holloway’s face, and began thrashing around and yelling, "F--- that, f--- that, f--- that, f--- that, f--- that!"

Bailiffs removed Holloway from the room but the drama didn’t end there.

A handful of women, including one who said she was related to Holloway stormed out of the courtroom. On her way out, another woman also smashed a glass display case with her hand and lashed out at photographers before being arrested.

Holloway is accused of gunning down Ramos, 27, on Sept. 29. The Emeryville resident was painting a mural – depicting colorful Victorian homes and a tree-lined street – on the 3500 block of West Street under the Interstate 580 overpass when he was killed.

Investigators say Holloway came up to Ramos, who was painting with a group of muralists, and eyed his camera equipment. The two got into a brief, but heated argument before Holloway pulled out a gun and shot Ramos.

"He was painting the mural and he had taken a break and was taking some pictures – so he could memorialize it and put it up on a website — so he had some of his camera equipment out there. And I believe that’s what sparked the whole incident," said Oakland police Lt. Roland Holmgren.

Police released a photo of a possible suspect shortly after Ramos’ death, and on Tuesday confirmed that the man in the picture is indeed Holloway.

Holloway is being held without bail and is scheduled back in court Nov. 30. 

NBC Bay Area's Rhea Mahbubani contributed to this report. 

Oakland police on Monday released a photo of a man they described as a “person of interest” in the shooting death of Antonio Ramos, a muralist who was helping to beautify West Oakland with his art. Jodi Hernandez reports.
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