OAKLAND — A Bay Area man has been charged with murder and attempted murder for allegedly shooting two brothers after police say he waited about 15 minutes for them to exit their East Oakland store at 3:15 a.m.
Christian Mendoza, 30, of Oakland, is in jail without bail, facing not just murder and attempted murder charges, but possessing the pistol used in the shooting and having a gun on him again when police arrested him earlier this week. Mendoza, a five-time felon most recently convicted of gun possession in 2022, is not legally allowed to carry a gun, according to court records.
Police allege that Mendoza waited in an alleyway behind a store that sold snacks and lingerie on the 1600 block of International Boulevard, an area known for prostitution at all hours of the day. When Zinatullah Hedayet, 28, and his brother got into a Toyota Prius, Mendoza allegedly opened fire, killing Hedayet and wounding his brother, who survived, according to court records.
Authorities haven’t said if they determined the suspected motive, but said that the shooting appeared to be targeted and that Mendoza had no apparent connection with either victim. Earlier this month, police arrested a man on conspiracy and murder charges but he was later released after talking to police, according to court records.
Both victims operated the store, which drew controversy from online reviewers who accused it of profiting off of human trafficking. The shop’s Oakland-issued business license expired on New Year’s Eve — 12 days after Hedayet was killed — and its Google page lists it as “permanently closed.”
Mendoza ran to a getaway car near the alleyway where the shooting took place, authorities said.