Oakland man charged with gun possession after recent robbery and homicide

OAKLAND — A local resident was betrayed by his own ankle monitor, leading to his recent arrest and a new gun case, court records show.

Maurice Herron, 27, was arrested on suspicion of murder, after police identified him as a possible suspect in the April 19 homicide of 33-year-old Roosevelt Jones. But Herron avoided murder charges, and was instead charged with possessing a firearm allegedly found when police caught up with him on April 21.

Jones was allegedly shot and killed by his attempted robbery victim, who police say killed him in self-defense. Jones’ 33-year-old cousin, Jashawndre Uphsaw, has been arrested and charged with murder under the theory that he was armed and assisted Jones in the robbery.

Herron became a possible suspect because authorities located the robbers’ car in Hayward hours after the killing, and Herron’s girlfriend was allegedly driving it. Herron was wearing an ankle monitor due to a pending gun case. Data from the device placed him at the scene of the homicide and at a hospital where Jones was dropped off, authorities allege.

Police allege that shortly after midnight on April 19, Jones and Upshaw approached a Richmond resident on the 500 block of 18th Street in Uptown Oakland, and attempted to rob him for a diamond necklace. When Jones allegedly threw the would-be robbery victim onto the pavement, he responded by pulling out a gun and shooting Jones multiple times.

Herron, who has been convicted of eight felonies since 2015, has been arrested two other times this year. He was charged with possessing a stolen gun in January, released from jail, and arrested again on suspicion of possessing burglary tools in February, court records show.

On top of his new gun case, Herron is also charged with violation probation from a prior burglary case. On April 30, he posted $180,000 bail and was released from jail, court records show.