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A Stockton man was charged Monday in the death of a 78-year-old gas station employee last month in San Leandro, authorities said.
Witnesses told police that the employee found the suspect, later identified as 40-year-old Dennis Lee, loitering behind the Speedway gas station at 14880 E. 14th St. about 12:15 p.m. on Feb. 22.
“During the confrontation, Lee came up behind the victim and shoved him into a pole, causing head and neck trauma that proved to be fatal,” police said in a news release on Monday.
The employee, Wadih Badran of Livermore, died of head injuries at the scene.
The suspect fled but detectives were eventually able to determine his identity through a combination of surveillance video, license-plate-reading video cameras and forensic evidence.
Lee was arrested March 8 in Stockton with the assistance of deputies from the San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office. Search warrants executed at his home, as well as his parents’ home in Castro Valley, allegedly turned up clothing the suspect wore during the homicide and two illegally possessed firearms.
Lee was charged Monday by the Alameda County District Attorney’s office with murder and weapons violations. Jail records show he is set to be arraigned on Tuesday in Alameda County Superior Court at the East County Hall of Justice in Dublin.
Anyone with additional information regarding the death is asked to contact San Leandro police by reaching Detective C. Pricco at 510-577-3244; or the anonymous tip line at 510-577-3278; or Text-to-Tip at 888777 (keyword: TipSLPolice).
