OAKLAND — A $35,000 reward is being offered for information leading to the arrest of those responsible for the death of 22-year-old Aya Nakano of Emeryville.
On June 12 at approximately 10:57 p.m., Nakano was on his way home from the Cal Rec Center in Berkeley when his silver Jeep Cherokee was rear-ended by a vehicle with two occupants on the 5800 block of Market Street at Stanford Avenue in Oakland, facing south in the vicinity of Trung Hand Car Wash and ASA Liquor Store.
After Nakano pulled over and got out of his vehicle, police say, there was a confrontation and he was fatally shot by one of the suspects. The Sacred Heart Prep and University of Oregon graduate died just an hour short of his 23rd birthday.
The suspect vehicle is described as a newer, silver four-door sedan with possible front-end damage. No description of the suspects has been released. Police have not yet determined if the fender-bender was an accident or if Nakano was deliberately targeted.
Tips will remain confidential. Anyone with information is asked to contact Crime Stoppers at (800) 222-TIPS or (510) 777-8572, or the Oakland Police Department at (510) 238-3821 or oaklandhomicide@oaklandnet.com.