Juan Angel Garcia Wiki

                                                            Juan Angel Garcia Biography

Who is Juan Angel Garcia ?

Authorities arrested a man Saturday in the fatal shooting of Cal Basketball legend Gene Ransom on northbound Interstate 880 in Oakland.

According to CHP, Juan Angel Garcia, 25, of San Francisco, was arrested without incident on Saturday morning. Garcia was booked into the Alameda County Jail.

NBC Bay Area learned Saturday that Ransom was the victim killed in Friday’s shooting on I-880, according to friends.

The incident occurred shortly after 5 p.m. Friday near the Broadway Avenue exit ramp of northbound I-880.

Victim

CHP officials said the victim was traveling in a black Honda Civic near Oak Street. That’s when Garcia, who was driving a black Lexus sedan, drove to the victim’s left and fired into the victim’s car, hitting him at least once.

After being struck by gunfire, the victim turned the car to the right, where he hit a guardrail before coming to a stop, CHP said.

Authorities said Garcia immediately fled the scene.

Gene Ransom Death

According to the Oakland Fire Department, a witness called 911 after seeing a car veering off the freeway. The witness told dispatchers that she thought the driver might have had a medical emergency.

Ransom was pronounced dead at the scene. No one else was in his car at the time of the incident.

Ransom’s shooting death has shocked many in the Bay Area community.

Cal Athletics released the following statement Saturday night:

“We are shocked to hear reports that Cal Athletics Hall of Famer Gene Ransom has been identified as a victim in a deadly freeway shooting. Our thoughts are with Gene’s family and friends for this tragic loss. Gene was one of the greatest players in the history of our men’s basketball program, and he will be greatly missed.”

Oakland Athletics scout Shooty Babitt also shared some of his memories of Ransom.

“A lot of times, you just felt like you had to be dreaming, you couldn’t believe what he just did, I mean, if it wasn’t for the no-look passes,” he said. “His hands were twice the size of mine, he probably grabbed a basketball when he came out of his mother, I mean this guy was just amazing.”

Ransom, nicknamed “The Dream,” was a UC Berkeley basketball star in the 1970s. He later became a member of the university’s hall of fame.

Babitt, who is Ransom’s longtime friend, said he was much more than that.

“Legendary, a Berkeley icon, if you will,” he said.

Babitt and Ransom played basketball and baseball together at Berkeley High School.

“When I had the opportunity to be in the same field with Gene Ransom, I understood what greatness really was,” Babitt said.

Friends of his told NBC Bay Area on Saturday that Ransom was a community advocate and helped create programs to help keep young people off the streets.

Investigation

Doug Harris said that he and Ransom created night basketball for kids as part of Athletes United for Peace.

“I’m really saddened by the fact that something that Gene worked closely with me for 20 years is what he succumbed to in life, the dangers of gun violence,” he said.

CHP said the motive for the shooting is still under investigation.

If anyone has information about the shooting, they are urged to contact CHP’s investigative tip line at (707) 917-4491.