OAKLAND — Investigators released a video image Tuesday of a man police say is a person of interest in the fatal shooting Sept. 2 of a beloved mother of five hit by a stray bullet as she walked with her husband in East Oakland.
Police also announced a reward for information leading an arrest in the killing has been increased to up to $15,000.
The image, retrieved from a video surveillance camera in the area, shows the man standing outside a vehicle, possibly a Honda, moments after Martha Casiano Ventura, 44, was hit by a stray bullet about 12:53 a.m. Sept. 2 in the 2100 block of East 22nd Street. She died at a hospital at 1:25 a.m.
Besides identifying the man, police would also like to get to get more information about the car.
When the shooting happened, Casiano Ventura was just a short distance from her husband as they walked to their parked car to drive to their residence in another part of East Oakland after leaving a home in the area.
Homicide investigators believe there had been a dispute in the area involving other people that had nothing to do with Casiano Ventura or her husband. Shots were fired and she was the only one hit by the gunfire.
Her family is still trying to cope with the horrific act of violence that has left them and everyone who knew the “amazing woman” devastated. Her children range in age from adults to pre-kindergartners.
She and her husband owned a popular food truck business known as Martha’s Tacos which was based at Third and Market streets in West Oakland and they also operated a food stand at Oakland’s First Friday event.
A GoFundMe account set up for her family had a goal of $10,000 but as of Tuesday morning it had collected $19,320. Donations can still be made at https://www.gofundme.com/f/funeral-costs-for-dona-martha-casiano.
Anyone with information abut the shooter is asked to call police at 510-238-3821 or 510-239-7950 or Crime Stoppers at 510-777-8572.