Deputies Arrest Redwood City Man on Suspicion of 2004 Murder of Tire Shop Manager

By Bay City News Service:

Alameda County sheriff’s deputies arrested a Redwood City man Wednesday accused of killing a witness set to testify against him in a grand theft case in 2004, a sheriff’s sergeant said.

Larry Fuller, 44, was arrested at about noon Wednesday on a murder warrant for the shooting, which occurred in Brentwood in Contra Costa County, sheriff’s Sgt. Ray Kelly said.

The case against Fuller goes back to some work done on his car in late 2003 at a Castro Valley tire shop. Fuller sped off without paying his $2,700 bill and was later charged with grand theft.

A manager at the store, 36-year-old Sanjay Samy, was set to testify against Fuller in that case. But on Oct. 26, 2004, the day before he was scheduled to testify, Samy was shot dead outside of his home in the 2900 block of Haddington Court in Brentwood.

Fuller had prior felonies on his record and could have faced a lengthy prison stay if convicted in the theft case.

The case languished for more than a decade. Investigators suspected Fuller in the shooting, but lacked enough evidence to charge him. He was arrested on an unrelated matter in 2009 and investigators announced an $81,000 reward in an effort to get more witnesses to come forward, but it took another five years to develop the case.

The sheriff’s office’s cold case unit kept at the case and finally obtained enough evidence for the district attorney’s office to file murder charges against Fuller, Kelly said.

“Our cold case unit was able to bring closure to this case after 10 years,” Kelly said. “Law enforcement will continue to pursue suspects no matter how long it takes, especially for the crime of murder.”

Fuller is set to appear in court Friday afternoon in Oakland for arraignment.