Pittsburg Man Suspected Of Murdering 17-Year-Old Girl Is Arrested

OAKLAND - A 21-year-old Pittsburg man has been charged with murder for the fatal shooting of a 17-year-old girl in East Oakland last week, prosecutors said.

Darion Brown is charged in the killing of Oakley resident Alexis Leann Ervin, who was found at 6:47 a.m. Thursday behind the Rainbow Recreation Center at 5800 International Blvd.

Oakland police Sgt. Michael Cardoza wrote in a probable cause statement that investigators found "a connection" between Brown and Ervin but didn't elaborate.

Berkeley police Officer Jason Tillberg wrote that Brown was arrested at the Chevron gas station at 1201 The Alameda in Berkeley at 10:30 a.m. Thursday, about four hours after the shooting, when officers responded to a report that Brown was acting aggressively toward customers.

The customer who called police said Brown wasn't allowing customers to leave the gas station and things were "escalating," according to Tillberg.

When police searched Brown's backpack, they found an unloaded pistol, which was reported as stolen, and he was arrested on suspicion of carrying a concealed firearm, possession of a firearm as a prohibited person and possession of stolen property, Tillberg said.

According to Cardoza, Oakland police discovered that Brown was in possession of the firearm that was used to kill Ervin and that he was in possession of property that belonged to her.

In addition to murder, Brown is charged with unlawful firearm activity.

Prosecutors also allege that Brown was convicted of assault with a firearm in Contra Costa County in 2011, when he was a juvenile.

Brown has been arraigned on the charges against him and is scheduled to return to Alameda County Superior Court on July 5 to enter a plea.

-Bay City News, image via frankieleon/Flickr