OAKLAND — A 40-year-old man killed early Saturday by a stray bullet in East Oakland was identified Tuesday as Chrystian Valdez Negrete, the father of four children who was a longtime employee at a Richmond beverage supply company.
Valdez Negrete, an Oakland resident, was fatally shot at 2:13 a.m. Saturday in the 4400 block of International Boulevard.
Police say a 36-year-old man who was the intended target was wounded after being hit more than once by gunfire; he is expected to recover. One of the bullets that missed the man instead hit Valdez Negrete, who died at the scene.
The men did not know each other, but officials said both had just left a nightclub in the area. Police have not determined a motive for the shooting and have not made any arrests.
Valdez Negrete’s death shocked and saddened co-workers at the Bay Area Beverage Company in Richmond, where he had worked since 2002 in the warehouse.
A co-worker, who asked not to be named, said Valdez Negrete was “a great employee who everyone loved. His attendance was always perfect; he was a hard worker, he was great.”
The co-worker said when fellow employees were told by company officials Monday, “there were a lot of upset people. This is a tight community. Everyone is really close. We’re all still pretty upset.”
Valdez Negrete was married and the father of four children, the co-worker said, adding that the slain man’s family was still in a state of disbelief over what happened. The family could not be reached Tuesday.
Police and Crime Stoppers of Oakland are offering up to $15,000 in reward money for information leading to the arrest of the shooter. Anyone with information is asked to call police at 510-238-3821 or Crime Stoppers at 510-777-8572.