Trio charged in armed robberies targeting street vendors in East Oakland

By Tim Fang

Three people have been arrested and charged in connection with a series of armed robberies targeting street vendors in East Oakland earlier this week, prosecutors said.

According to the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office, 37-year-old Howard Tisdale, 34-year-old Keeyana Marie Johnson and 29-year-old Shiphon M. Degrate are facing multiple felony charges. The trio is accused of robbery, possession of an illegal assault weapon and evading law enforcement.

Prosecutors said the robberies took place on Monday and Tuesday. The suspects allegedly targeted Hispanic street vendors and their customers, according to court documents.

“I want to thank the Oakland Police Department for their thorough and prompt investigation of these robberies that led to the arrests,” District Attorney Ursula Jones Dickson said in a statement.

The suspects were scheduled to be arraigned Thursday.