A fugitive murder suspect from Oakland tried to escape a U.S. Marshals task force by jumping off the roof of a Benicia apartment building, authorities said, and ended up in a hospital bed instead of a jail cell.
The man, identified in court filings as 56-year-old Rodney Latin, was injured after the leap from the three-story complex on East 4th Street. He remained under medical care as Marshals and local officers locked down the scene and opened an investigation into what exactly unfolded on that rooftop.
Latin is charged in the May 6 killing of 79-year-old Johnny Lee Perry, who was stabbed while riding a bicycle in Oakland, according to the East Bay Times. Court filings reviewed by the paper state that the attacker used both a knife and a blunt object in the assault.
Why marshals were involved
The arrest effort was handled by a U.S. Marshals task force, which routinely backs up local law enforcement when it comes to tracking and arresting fugitives. That role is described in a Department of Justice release about Marshals task-force operations. These regional teams typically work alongside local police to find suspects across city and county lines and to carry out felony-warrant arrests.
What happened in Benicia
On Thursday, Marshals converged on the three-story East 4th Street apartment building in Benicia. During the encounter, Latin went over the roof edge and fell, suffering injuries serious enough that he had to be taken to a hospital, according to the East Bay Times. He has not yet entered a plea while he remains hospitalized…