OAKLAND — An apparent dispute over an RV Monday morning in West Oakland left a 35-year-old woman shot multiple times and the vehicle gutted by a deliberately set fire, authorities said.
The man believed responsible for both the shooting and fire is being sought, authorities said. He is the owner of the RV and knows the woman, authorities said.
Both the woman and man are unhoused.
According to initial police reports, the man — whose name has not been released — thought the woman may have been been involved with some other people trying to move his RV from its parking place on Fifth Street near Kirkham Street.
He allegedly set the RV on fire about 5:37 a.m. Monday to prevent that from happening, according to initial reports, and went looking for the woman. The RV was gutted in the fire that was put out within a short time by firefighters.
The man found the woman a few minutes later at another homeless encampment a few blocks away in the area of Third and Center streets and shot her at least twice in her arm before fleeing, authorities said. The woman was treated at a hospital and released.
She returned later in the morning to the encampment where she was gathering up belongings and talked briefly with this news organization.
She asked that her name not be used and denied having anything to do with the man’s RV. She said she considers herself “very lucky. I could have gotten shot anywhere else.”
She said she has lived at the encampment about a year and that she is “a survivor,” but she is not taking any chances. “I’m getting out of here,” she said.
Anyone with information about the shooting may call investigators at 510-238-3426.
Staff writer Rick Hurd contributed to this report.