OAKLAND — The mother of the man accused of fatally shooting Oakland police Officer Tuan Le last month was released from jail Monday, days after she was booked on suspicion of an accessory charge in the widening investigation into the officer’s death.
Felicia Williams, 48, was no longer in Santa Rita Jail as of Monday evening, jail records show.
She was arrested Thursday on suspicion of felony accessory after the fact. Law enforcement sources told this news organization she allegedly tried to help her son leave the state and attempted to destroy evidence related to the case.
But on Monday, she was released from custody after prosecutors declined to file charges in time to keep her in custody under state law. She faced no formal charges as of Monday evening and has no date to appear in court, records show. Messages sent by this news organization to the DA’s office were not immediately answered Monday afternoon and evening.
Williams is the mother of Mark Demetrious Sanders, who remains held in the jail without bail amid accusations that he shot and killed Le, according to court records and law enforcement sources.
Williams’ release marks a twist in the broadening investigation into Le’s death on Dec. 29, which has already led to the arrests of four other people on charges ranging from burglary to murder.
Le was working as an undercover officer when he was fatally shot in the head around 4:30 a.m. on Dec. 29, while responding to a burglary call at a marijuana grow house on the 400 block of Embarcadero, along the city’s waterfront.
Sanders and a second man, Allen Starr Brown, were charged with murder and a slew of other felonies in Le’s death.
A third suspect, Sebron Russell, has been charged with burglarizing the dispensary multiple times that morning, and a fourth suspect, Marquise Cooper, was arrested Wednesday evening in Southern California on suspicion of burglary, authorities said. Prosecutors are expected to consider charges against Cooper when he is extradited to the Bay Area.
Staff writer Nate Gartrell contributed to this report.
Check back for updates to this developing story.
