In a recent courtroom hearing in Oakland, a 10-year-old boy took the stand to identify the man he allegedly witnessed shooting his father more than two years ago. The incident occurred on June 21, 2021, when 44-year-old Cesar Parrilla was shot at point-blank range while helping a friend jumpstart a car on Capistrano Avenue.
The suspect, 35-year-old Luis Estrada, allegedly confessed to the police but claimed that Parrilla had made a threatening gesture and had pulled guns on him in the past due to a longstanding feud. During the preliminary hearing, Parrilla’s son testified that a green vehicle pulled up, and the driver asked his father if he was Cesar. When Parrilla confirmed his identity, the driver pulled out a firearm and shot him.
The young boy, who was playing on his phone at the time, identified Estrada as the shooter. Oakland police Detective Robert Hardy testified that Estrada admitted to firing a small rifle into the air to scare Parrilla, who had allegedly threatened him and stolen his dogs in the past. Estrada also claimed to have disposed of the firearm by throwing it into the water in Alameda and giving away his green station wagon.
Detective Hardy acknowledged that police had previously investigated Parrilla for allegedly pulling a gun on Estrada years earlier. Alameda Superior Court Judge Jason Chin upheld the murder charge against Estrada, but did not provide his opinion on the evidence presented. It is important to note that the legal standard to advance a case past the preliminary hearing stage is probable cause, which is a lower bar than the standard used by juries to convict individuals of crimes.
The trial date for Luis Estrada has not yet been set.
