In this edition of our Semi-Monthly newsletter, we share five stories relevant to Emeryville that you may have missed, including:
Police have identified the 22-year-old woman whose burned remains were found beneath I-580 near Emeryville
The Ratio Innovation Campus sold for less than half its 2020 sale price.
Emeryville’s Atomic Machines emerged from stealth with $250 million in funding.
A camp counselor was charged with molesting a 12-year-old girl at Bay Street’s AMC theater.
An Emeryville man was charged with forcing a woman into prostitution through threats and violence.
Missing Woman Identified as Homicide Victim Near Emeryville Border
Oakland police have identified Bailey Kristin Barnett, 22, as the woman whose burned remains were discovered beneath Interstate 580 near Hollis Street, along the Emeryville-Oakland border, on July 27. Barnett was staying at an Oakland transitional home and was last known to have contact with someone on July 22. DNA testing was required to confirm her identity because of the condition of her remains. Police are investigating her death as a homicide and pursuing leads, including text messages she reportedly received from a man she had recently met. Her cause of death has not been released.
Emeryville’s Ratio Innovation Campus Sells for $63.5 Million
New York-based investors linked to life sciences real estate specialist Outshine Properties have acquired Emeryville’s Ratio Innovation Campus for $63.5 million, roughly half the $129.5 million paid by previous owner Beacon Capital Partners in 2020. The 241,000-square-foot campus at 6401 Hollis Street and 1480 64th Street includes laboratory and office space. The sale comes amid persistent weakness in the region’s life sciences real estate market, with the property reportedly just 71% leased earlier this year. Beacon had invested $24 million in renovations in 2022, upgrading lobbies, amenities and outdoor spaces. The steep price decline underscores the challenges facing Emeryville’s life sciences sector amid elevated vacancies.
Emeryville AI Manufacturing Startup Emerges From Stealth With $250 Million
Emeryville-based Atomic Machines has emerged from six years of operating in stealth mode, announcing $250 million in funding and plans to hire for dozens of positions at its new East Bay facility. Founded by former Amazon and Uber executive Jeff Holden, the company has developed an AI-powered manufacturing platform called the Matter Compiler, designed to turn digital blueprints into working miniature machines with moving parts and multiple materials. Its first product, PrimeSwitch, is a high-speed electrical relay designed for the 800-volt power systems increasingly used in AI data centers. The company aims to apply its technology to applications ranging from microscopic robotics to advanced chip cooling.
Oakland Camp Counselor Charged With Molesting Girl at Emeryville Movie Theater
An Oakland man who worked as a counselor at an East Bay youth camp has been charged with molesting a 12-year-old girl inside the Bay Street Emeryville AMC 16 movie theater. Robert Neal, 19, faces felony charges of committing a lewd act on a child and arranging a sexual meeting with a minor. Authorities say Neal met the girl through the ACE camp, operated by Friends of Peralta Hacienda Historical Park, but the July 25 movie outing was unrelated to the program and took place without her parents’ knowledge. He was arrested Aug. 26 after the girl reported the alleged abuse and has pleaded not guilty. Released from jail in September, Neal is barred from contacting the girl or visiting the camp. He is scheduled to appear in court Oct. 21.
Emeryville Man Charged With Human Trafficking, Accused of Threatening Woman
An Emeryville man has been charged with human trafficking, pimping, pandering and domestic violence after allegedly threatening to kill a woman and her children unless she worked as a prostitute. Luis Andrew Silva, 25, is accused of threatening the woman with a handgun and choking her until she lost consciousness, according to an Oakland police arrest report. Silva pleaded not guilty on Sept. 28 and was released from jail pending an Oct. 28 court date. He was on probation for a 2025 case in which he was accused of robbing a sex buyer at gunpoint. He ultimately pleaded no contest to grand theft and received two years of probation, which was scheduled to expire in late 2027.
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