2 men face murder, manslaughter charges after laptop theft turns deadly

A man died trying to recover his laptop from thieves that was taken from a Starbucks in Oakland.

Credit: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Credit: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

A man died trying to recover his laptop from thieves that was taken from a Starbucks in Oakland.
Nation & World
By Kelli Dugan, Cox Media Group National Content Desk
Jan 4, 2020
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Two men were charged Friday with killing a California man who chased them after the pair are believed to have stolen his laptop at an Oakland Starbucks, multiple news outlets reported.

Shuo Zeng, 34, was fatally wounded shortly after 11 a.m. Tuesday when he chased the thieves and grabbed the door of their SUV. Witnesses told authorities the SUV sped up, causing the man to lose his grip and slam his head against a parked car, KPIX reported.

Byron O.J. Reed Jr., 22, and Javon Eugene Lee, 21, appeared in court Friday afternoon but did not enter pleas, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.

According to charging documents, Lee was involved in taking the laptop and is charged with involuntary manslaughter and second-degree robbery. Reed is charged with special circumstance murder and second-degree robbery, KGO reported.

Both men have prior second-degree robbery convictions in San Francisco, and Reed was on parole from state prison when he was arrested this week, the Chronicle reported.

Zeng earned his doctorate in physics in 2015 from Kansas State University and worked at a Bay Area tech company, the newspaper reported.

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About the Author

Kelli Dugan, Cox Media Group National Content Desk