Oklahoma Woman Arrested In Connection To 1993 San Carlos Killing

SAN CARLOS, CA — An Oklahoma woman was arrested in connection to the 1993 murder of a San Carlos man, the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office announced Thursday. The cold case has gained national recognition, even appearing on America’s Most Wanted.

Police arrested Rayna Hoffman-Ramos, a 61-year-old resident of Washington County, Oklahoma. Hoffman-Ramos is currently being held without bail in Washington County, Oklahoma pending extradition to San Mateo County, the sheriff’s office said.

On April 26, 1993, San Carlos police officers found Shun Ming Tang, a shopkeeper at the Devonshire Little Store, dead from gunshot wounds, according to a report from the sheriff’s office. A woman in her 20s with brown shoulder-length hair was seen leaving the store in a blue 70s station wagon, CBS San Francisco reported. Despite years of detective work, the case remained unsolved.

In 2018, the San Mateo County Sheriff’s detectives and investigators assigned to the Cold Case Unit revisited the murder, and identified a person of interest in Oklahoma. On March 16, 2022, sheriff’s detectives conducted an operation in Sacramento and Oklahoma, where they found additional supporting evidence.

Detectives were assisted by the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, Washington County- Oklahoma Sheriff’s Office, Washington County Oklahoma District Attorney’s Office, Sacramento Police Department and the San Mateo County District Attorney’s Office, SMCSO said.

It is unknown if Hoffman-Ramos has hired an attorney.

“Today, I can announce that we've made an arrest and justice for Mr. Tang's family is at hand. The San Mateo County Sheriff's Office would like to thank the Tang family for their support. I hope your family will finally get the justice you deserve and the closure you desire,” San Mateo Sheriff Carlos G. Bolanos said in a statement. “I want to thank all our Deputies for their hard work and dedication each day. The Sheriff's Office has proven its ability to adapt and remain steadfast in its commitment to providing the highest level of law enforcement services, and I am incredibly proud of them.”