East Bay Councilwoman Says She Was Attacked, Robbed By Acquaintance

OAKLAND, CA — Oakland city councilmember Rowena Brown was attacked and robbed by an acquaintance, her office said in a social media post on Thursday.

The post said Brown had been supporting the acquaintance through a "difficult time" before the incident on Saturday evening. The post did not name the person accused of attacking and robbing Brown.

Subscribe

An East Bay Times report identified the suspect as Ahshatae Millhouse, 38, of Hayward.

The attack happened after midnight Saturday at Brown's apartment, with Millhouse punching the councilmember twice, dragging her by her hair to the living room and using her knee to press down on her neck, according to the East Bay Times, which cited a probable cause affidavit authored by the Oakland Police Department.

The councilmember managed to escape, and that's when Millhouse left the apartment with Brown's purse and two cell phones, according to the report.

Millhouse was arrested by police on Monday in connection with the attack and charged by the Alameda County district attorney with first-degree residential robbery, assault with force likely to produce great bodily injury and false imprisonment by violence, according to the report.

Brown's office said the councilmember at-large sought medical treatment after the attack and is "recovering with the support of her loved ones.

"She remains focused on her recovery and on continuing to serve the Oakland community," Brown's office said.

Assemblymember Mia Bonta, who represents the East Bay, including Oakland, showed her support for Brown just hours after the councilmember's office posted about the attack on social media.

"Councilmember Rowena Brown is a steadfast advocate for all Oaklanders, and I'm grateful she is taking the time she needs to recover from this traumatic incident," Bonta said.

Bonta thanked the Oakland Police Department for its response and added that "public service should never come at the cost of one's safety."

"No one in our community should have to experience violence, Bonta said.

Millhouse, according to the San Francisco Chronicle, is the sister of Terrill Millhouse, a 36-year-old man who was shot and killed in East Oakland the evening before Thanksgiving 2025.

Oakland Police last week released surveillance footage leading up to the fatal shooting in hopes that the public could help them identify Millhouse's killer.