Fugitive Double Murder Suspect Extradited Back to Alameda County and Charged with the Shooting Deaths of Two San Lorenzo Women
May 17, 2024
OAKLAND, CA—Today, DA Pamela Price announced Howard Reed (31), has been charged with the murder of Jingwei “Melanie” Zhang (32), and the murder of Dorothy Mak (38). Both victims were found deceased on May 4, 2024, in a residence that they shared with the defendant in San Lorenzo.
According to the investigative report, deputies from the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office conducted a welfare check at the residence in San Lorenzo after receiving calls from concerned family and friends who reported they had not heard from the two victims since late April 2024.
Upon entering the residence, the deputies found evidence of a shooting and the bodies of Ms. Zhang and Ms. Mak. The deputies did not find the defendant at the scene. Information found at the scene was used by investigators to locate the defendant. On May 5, 2024, the defendant was arrested by local law enforcement in Kansas City, Missouri, and later extradited on a fugitive, no-bail warrant back to Alameda County.
“I commend the Alameda County Sheriff’s deputies for their swift action in tracking down the alleged shooter and Kansas City law enforcement for assisting them with the arrest of Mr. Reed,” said DA Pamela Price. “This is another gun-related tragedy in our community, this time claiming the lives of two women. Too often, guns and intimate partner violence turns deadly. Perhaps these two women would still be with us if he had not had a gun. Now that Mr. Reed has been captured and returned to Alameda County to face justice for this tragic crime, my office will hold him accountable on behalf of the two victims and their families.”
If convicted of the murder charges, Mr. Reed faces a potential prison sentence of 50 years to life in Prison. He is scheduled to be arraigned on May 17, 2024, at the East County Hall of Justice in Dublin.
Contact: damedia@acgov.org