Black Muslim suspects sought in liquor store arson

0 Comments | Oakland Tribune, Nov 29, 2005 | by Kamika Dunlap, Harry Harris

OAKLAND -- Six suspects who allegedly were part of a large group that trashed two West Oakland liquor stores last week -- including one that was subsequently gutted in an arson fire Monday morning -- have been identified, and warrants are being sought for their arrest, police said.

The Tribune has learned that the six vandalism suspects are believed to be Black Muslims affiliated with Your Black Muslim Bakery. They are being sought on charges of making terrorist threats, felony vandalism, conspiracy and robbery, police said.

Authorities said it is too early to say whether the suspects also were involved in the arson fire or if there were other motives. Police did say the suspects are not associated with the Nation of Islam or its mosques.

In the late 1960s, Yusef Bey, a controversial follower of the Nation of Islam, founded Your Black Muslim Bakery, an umbrella organization that eventually included bakeries, schools, security services and apartments to provide self-reliance for his followers. The businesses were not associated with the Nation of Islam.

Monday's single-alarm fire was reported at 1:19 a.m. at New York Market, 3446 Market St. Arson investigators with the Oakland police and fire departments said evidence found so far suggests an accelerant was used to start a fire inside the store. There was no sign of a forced entry.

The clerk on duty Sunday night was reported missing early Monday afternoon. He was found around 2 p.m., locked inside the trunk of a car in a supermarket parking lot in El Cerrito. The clerk was being interviewed by investigators Monday night.

Store owner Musa Saleh, reached by phone, said he could not comment about the fire. He bought the store in August from Atiq S. Sanani and Ahmed Sanane, and the license to sell beer and wine was transferred to him Aug. 17. On Oct. 17 Saleh applied for a state license to sell hard liquor. That application is pending, said Marcie Griffin, supervising investigator with the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control.

On Monday piles of destroyed merchandise lay openly on the sidewalk in front of the neighborhood store. The store marquee and other signs had been melted by the heat.

Jodi Hamilton attends church across the street from the market. When she left the church the night before the fire, she didn't see anything out of the ordinary, she said.

On Wednesday around 11:30 p.m., about a dozen men wearing dark suits and bow ties invaded and trashed San Pablo Market and Liquor at 2363 San Pablo Ave., before moving on to do the same thing at New York Market. The men demanded that the businesses stop selling liquor to African Americans and asked how, as Muslims, the owners could sell alcohol.

Abdul Saleh, a Yemeni immigrant who has owned the San Pablo Avenue store since 1986, said Monday he is still concerned about last week's vandalism. The dozen or so men who entered his store and smashed merchandise and refrigerator cases said they would be back.

Now, word of the fire has him even more on edge.

The Yemeni American Grocers' Association shares his sentiments. The association, which represents about 300 store owners in Oakland, Berkeley and Richmond, is encouraging authorities to step up their investigation.

Mohamed Saleh Mohamed, president of the association, said the owners of New York Market had just purchased the business and were making plans to renovate. He was unaware the business was having financial problems.

"It's frustrating that it's taking so long to get the folks caught on videotape apprehended," he said. "Merchants feel unstable and are unsure how to react or what kind of support they can get."

Saleh Mohamed said the crimes had escalated, and merchants are not safe. He said he is trying to organize a protest at City Hall and get support to close the stores for one day to send a message that more needs to be done, and fast, to protect them.

"We need community support right now," he said. "It's not just us against them."

Mayor Jerry Brown promised police would conduct an "active and vigorous investigation" and said he hopes the vandalism is not indicative of tension between the African American and Muslim communities.

He acknowledged the city has been trying to address problem liquor stores, but noted that "not all liquor store owners should be tarred by the bad ones."

Anyone with information call police at 238-3426 or 238-6946. A reward of up to $2,000 is being offered in each case.

Staff writers Sue McDonough and Heather MacDonald contributed to this report.