A fugitive murder suspect from Oakland tried to escape a U.S. Marshals task force by jumping off the roof of a Benicia apartment building, authorities said, and ended up in a hospital bed instead of a jail cell.
The man, identified in court filings as 56-year-old Rodney Latin, was injured after the leap from the three-story complex on East 4th Street. He remained under medical care as Marshals and local officers locked down the scene and opened an investigation into what exactly unfolded on that rooftop.
Latin is charged in the May 6 killing of 79-year-old Johnny Lee Perry, who was stabbed while riding a bicycle in Oakland, according to the East Bay Times. Court filings reviewed by the paper state that the attacker used both a knife and a blunt object in the assault.
Why marshals were involved
The arrest effort was handled by a U.S. Marshals task force, which routinely backs up local law enforcement when it comes to tracking and arresting fugitives. That role is described in a Department of Justice release about Marshals task-force operations. These regional teams typically work alongside local police to find suspects across city and county lines and to carry out felony-warrant arrests.
What happened in Benicia
On Thursday, Marshals converged on the three-story East 4th Street apartment building in Benicia. During the encounter, Latin went over the roof edge and fell, suffering injuries serious enough that he had to be taken to a hospital, according to the East Bay Times. He has not yet entered a plea while he remains hospitalized.
Court records show he is scheduled to be booked at Santa Rita Jail in Dublin with no bail once doctors clear him for transfer. Investigators linked Latin to the case after tracing a Honda Accord registered in his name and reviewing cellphone pings that hit towers in the Oakland area at key times, according to filings cited in the paper. A memorial at Perry's gym remembered the 79-year-old as a man of strength in every sense of the word.
Charges and prior record
Court documents indicate that Latin has prior stabbing convictions, including a four-year sentence in 2009 and a two-year sentence in 2016. Those records are indexed in the Alameda County Superior Court case search and cited in the current filings; the public docket is available through the Alameda County Superior Court.
The Alameda County Sheriff's Office lists Santa Rita Jail in Dublin as the detention facility where Latin will be booked once he is medically cleared. Facility information is available on the Alameda County Sheriff's Office website.
Next steps
Prosecutors are expected to move ahead with the murder case after Latin is released from the hospital and arraigned in county court. For now, officials are sticking closely to what is contained in court filings and limited press statements while the wider investigation continues.
