An Oakland man is facing life behind bars for the murder of the mother of his child and attempted murder of her friend in a chilling saga that culminated with a Contra Costa jury handing down a guilty verdict.
Ramello Darryl Randle, 28, was convicted on all charges, including murder, conspiracy, possession of an assault weapon, and shooting at a motor vehicle, after a trial marked by his courtroom violence that led to a mistrial in 2022, the Contra Costa county's official site reported. Randle's disruption caused injuries to his attorney and aggression toward the prosecutor. The trial pushed through, and a jury in Martinez, on March 21, found him guilty of murdering 24-year-old Jonaye Lahkel Bridges in a calculated attack after having tracked her car.
According to Contra Costa County, Randle's meticulously planned crime entailed placing a tracking device on the vehicle of Bridges, tracing her to a convenience store in Antioch, where he then approached and fired multiple rounds from a pistol equipped with an extended magazine, resulting in her death and injury to her companion.
Deputy District Attorney Kevin Bell highlighted the tragedy of the situation, pointing out Randle's intimate relationship with the victim and their shared parenthood. "Jonaye Bridges was the young mother of two children, including the two-month-old son that she shared with Mr. Randle – and he took her life in a senseless and heinous crime. He did so, in part, with the misguided belief in technology as a shield for his actions. But that technology only led to his downfall," Bell said. Randle's expected to face his sentencing on April 19 at Department 8 in Martinez at 8:30 am.
