Almost 30 years after Shu Ming Tang was fatally shot inside his landmark San Carlos retailer, authorities say they've discovered his killer, greater than 1,700 miles away in Oklahoma.
Tang’s killing rocked the small San Mateo County metropolis and was featured on “America’s Most Wished,” with out resulting in a suspect.
However on Thursday, the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Workplace introduced 61-year-old Oklahoma resident Rayna Elizabeth Hoffman-Ramos, who lived in San Mateo on the time of the taking pictures, has been arrested for the killing.
“Mr. Tang was a husband, a father and a buddy who got here to america to offer a greater life for his household,” stated San Carlos Mayor Sara McDowell on the information convention. “His loss of life shook the neighborhood of San Carlos and has remained a subject of debate through the years.”
Authorities wouldn’t say what led them to arrest Hoffman-Ramos.
Tang was shot inside the shop simply earlier than 1 p.m. on April 26, 1993 in what investigators believed was a “theft gone flawed,” in response to San Mateo County Sheriff’s Workplace Lt. Jacob Trickett on the information convention.
Police arrived on the retailer and located Tang unresponsive and affected by a single gunshot wound. Tang was taken to a hospital, the place he later died.
Investigators found a girl was seen leaving the shop shortly after the taking pictures, Trickett stated. Detectives carried out an investigation and adopted up on leads, however the case went chilly for about 29 years, attracting nationwide consideration and was featured on a phase on “America’s Most Wished.” In 2018, San Mateo County Sheriff’s detectives, crime analysts and chilly case investigators revisited the investigation and recognized an individual of curiosity dwelling in Washington County, Oklahoma.
Detectives went to Oklahoma Mar. 16 and arrested Hoffman-Ramos, in response to authorities. Police shared the information of the arrest with Tang’s household. Hoffman-Ramos was booked on a first-degree homicide cost and is in custody in Washington County Jail, awaiting extradition to San Mateo County, police stated.
The suspect was initially described as a girl in her 20s with medium-brown straight hair previous her shoulders and was final seen leaving the shop in a pale blue Seventies station wagon, in response to reporting by this information group in 1993.
Trickett declined to specify the strategies police used to attach Hoffman-Ramos to the murder however stated she is believed to have acted alone. Hoffman-Ramos has a previous legal file, he stated.
“We owe it to the households and victims, nevertheless lengthy it takes, to present some measure of justice,” Trickett stated.
Chilly case unit investigators and crime analysts revisit chilly instances and contemplate developments in know-how, “adjustments in relationships over time,” new leads and elevated public curiosity and help, in response to Trickett.
“The San Mateo County Sheriff’s Workplace want to thank the Tang household for his or her help,” stated Sheriff Carlos Bolanos. “I hope that your loved ones will lastly get the justice and closure that you just deserve.”
Chung Solar, the present proprietor of Devonshire Little Retailer, purchased the shop from Tang’s spouse in July 1993. Solar immigrated to the U.S. from Taiwan along with his son and daughter and stated he hoped to stay in San Carlos to present his youngsters training. He runs the shop along with his spouse, Ann.
“All of us got here from Taiwan, so I heard one thing unhealthy occurred to this retailer and I got here right here to inform Mrs. Tang about my emotions and to consolation her,” he stated. “She talked to me and stated she couldn’t do the shop anymore. She understood that I simply got here from Taiwan and he or she stated this retailer is nice for a newbie to do enterprise to stay on this nation, so I took her recommendation and took this enterprise.”
Solar stated he final spoke with Tang’s spouse, who moved to Los Angeles after her husband’s loss of life, 5 years in the past and that Tang’s daughter, Stephanie, lives within the North Bay. Solar is the fourth proprietor of the mom-and-pop retailer, which sells grocery gadgets, together with beer, wine and sweet.
“I couldn’t say I’m joyful or not. I simply say that lastly we acquired justice for this homicide that occurred in my retailer,” Solar stated. “Why did she kill an individual who doesn’t even know English? And this retailer didn’t even have that a lot cash for her to take. This broke all the household. I need to know extra.”
