An Oakland cop placed a tracking device on a wanted man’s car. Three days later, he allegedly committed a murder with the gadget still attached

OAKLAND — A local resident has been charged with murder in connection with a May shooting that occurred just three days after a police investigator discreetly attached a tracking device to the vehicle that he allegedly used in the fatal shooting, according to police and court records.

Andre Stevenson Jr., 20, was charged with murdering 25-year-old Raymond Adanandus on May 27. Police have not released the suspected motive but say Stevenson fired dozens of shots from a Nissan while Adanandus was driving in a passing vehicle on MacArthur Boulevard. Adanandus was struck by gunfire and then crashed his car in San Leandro, where he was pronounced dead.

Stevenson now has four pending felony cases in Alameda County, all filed since 2023. He was charged last year with possession of an assault weapon and leading police on a chase, in separate incidents, and either posted bail or was released on his own recognizance in both cases. Then, last May 3, he was arrested in San Leandro on suspicion of gun possession at a Dominoes pizza, court records show. He was not charged in connection with the May 3 arrest until early June, roughly 10 days after Adanandus was killed.

Just three days before Adanandus was killed, Oakland police placed a tracking device on Stevenson’s Nissan as part of efforts to arrest him for an active warrant in connection with the May 3 case. The Nissan was promptly used in an armed robbery of a couple in San Lorenzo roughly 10 hours later, though charges haven’t been filed in that incident.

After the shooting, police reviewed the tracking device data and realized it placed the Nissan at the location where Adanandus had been killed, authorities said. As detectives investigated the homicide further, they arranged for Stevenson’s arrest in connection with the still-pending warrant. He was taken into custody on June 6, and promptly posted bail again, court records show.

Finally, on June 24, police brought the murder case to the District Attorney’s office, which charged Stevenson with murder, shooting at an occupied vehicle, and illegally possessing the gun used to kill Adanandus, records show. He is set to enter a plea on July 15 and remains in custody without bail in Santa Rita Jail in Dublin.

A little less than one year ago, Stevenson’s father, Andre Stevenson Sr., was shot and killed at a 76 Gas Station on Edes Avenue in Oakland. Police have not made any arrests in that case, nor publicly identified any connection between Stevenson’s death and his son’s alleged involvement in Adanandus’ killing.

Staff writer Harry Harris contributed to this report