Oakland police have arrested the suspected shooter in the event the man was killed after his friends confronted burglars

OAKLAND — A Bay Area man has been arrested and charged with shooting in a homicide case where the victim was killed after his friends confronted two car burglars, court records show.

Patrick Rushing, 32, was charged Friday with killing Phoutsamay “Phil” Norawong, 44, in a Feb. 26 shooting in Oakland’s Chinatown. Rushing now joins co-defendants Terrance Rose, 32, who faces a murder charge, and Rose’s wife, Joan Ramirez-Rose, 48, who is accused of being an afterthought accomplice.

According to police, early in the morning of February 26, Rushing and Rose drove from San Francisco to Oakland looking for cars to break into. They reportedly burst into several cars before arriving on 8th Street in Chinatown, where they were confronted by one of Norawong’s friends, who had just left a nearby establishment. Police describe Norawong as a peacemaker, alleging he kept his friends away from the altercation in an attempt to smooth things over.

But Rushing and Rose reportedly returned to their vehicle and chased after the group of friends, with Rose driving and Rushing in the passenger seat. Court records allege Rose moved towards the victims as Rushing opened fire, fatally striking Norawong.

Rushing was arrested by San Francisco police on May 17. Investigators showed him photos of Rose’s car, which he reportedly denied recognizing. He then asked for a lawyer, police said.

Investigators say they found clothing during a search of Rushing’s home that matched surveillance footage showing what Norawong’s killer was wearing. They also said Rushing was linked to the crime through “ballistic” evidence, as well as phone records.

In addition to murder, Rushing and Rose face two counts of assault with a semi-automatic pistol, for allegedly shooting Norawong’s two friends.

Ramirez-Rose is charged as an accessory to allegedly falsely reporting that Rose’s car was stolen after the homicide. Rose later told police the vehicle was stolen, but he was able to find it simply by getting on a bus around San Francisco.

Norawong was killed just nine days after Rose was released from federal prison after serving a four-year sentence for selling fentanyl and possessing a gun as a felon in San Francisco. In that case, Ramirez-Rose wrote a letter of support to the judge predicting that her husband would become an “exceptional citizen” upon his release.