Oakland police arrested suspected shooter in case where man was killed after his friends confronted car burglars

OAKLAND — A Bay Area man has been arrested and charged as the shooter in a homicide case where the victim was killed after his friend confronted two car burglars, court records show.

Patrick Rushing, 32, was charged Friday with murdering 44-year-old Phoutsamay “Phil” Norawong in a Feb. 26 shooting in Oakland’s Chinatown. Rushing now joins co-defendants 32-year-old Terrance Rose — who faces a murder charge — and Rose’s wife, Joan Ramirez-Rose, 48, who is charged with accessory after the fact for allegedly falsely reporting their car stolen after the homicide.

According to police, on the early morning of Feb. 26, Rushing and Rose traveled from San Francisco to Oakland looking for cars to burglarize. They allegedly broke into several cars before arriving on 8th Street in Chinatown, where they were confronted by one of Norawong’s friends, who had just left a nearby establishment. Police describe Norawong as a peacemaker, alleging that he pulled his friends away from the altercation in an attempt to smooth things over.

But Rushing and Rose allegedly returned to their vehicle and pursued the group of friends, with Rose behind the wheel and Rushing in a passenger seat. The charging records allege that Rose drove towards the victims while Rushing opened fire, fatally striking Norawong.

Rushing was arrested by San Francisco police on May 17. Investigators showed him pictures of Rose’s car, which he reportedly denied recognizing. He then requested an attorney, police said.

Investigators say they found clothing in a search of Rushing’s home that matched surveillance footage showing what Norawong’s killer was wearing. They also said Rushing was linked to the crime through “ballistics” evidence, as well as phone records.

On top of murder, Rushing and Rose face two counts of assault with a semi-automatic pistol, for allegedly shooting at Norawong’s two friends.

Ramirez-Rose is charged with accessory for allegedly falsely reporting Rose’s car as stolen. Rose subsequently told police that the vehicle had been stolen, but that he was miraculously able to find it simply by taking the bus to San Francisco and looking around.

Norawong was killed just nine days after Rose was released from federal prison after serving a four-year sentence for selling fentanyl and possessing a pistol as a felon in San Francisco. In that case, Ramirez-Rose wrote a support letter to the judge predicting that her husband would become an “outstanding citizen” upon his release.