A man who allegedly fired shots during an Oakland gas station robbery, which seriously
injured a 10-year-old boy, was charged Monday with four counts that could put
him in prison for the rest of his life.
One of the bullets allegedly fired by Jared Adams, 24, of Oakland struck Christopher
Rodriguez and left him paralyzed from the wait down.
The boy was taking piano lesson about 4:30 p.m. at the Harmony Road
Music School
at Pleasant Valley
and Piedmont avenues, when Adams started
firing shots at a gas-station employee who was trying to call police after
being robbed across the street, authorities said.
One of the bullets penetrated Christopher’s abdomen, crossed
through his spleen, kidney and spine before lodging in his side, said Dr. James
Betts, chief of surgery at Children’s Hospital Oakland, where the boy is being
treated, the San Francisco Chronicle reports. He also said the boy would be
permanently paralyzed.
Two other bullets struck the car of Christopher’s mother,
Jennifer as she waited outside. She was not hurt.
Then the police chased Adams and his girlfriend, Maeve
Clifford, 19, who had run in a stolen Ford Mustang for a mile on the 51st Street
and Telegraph Avenue.
He there crashed into two cars, the police said. he succeeded to get out of the
car and run, but he was finally arrested.
Adams was charged with
willful, deliberate and premeditated attempted murder, robbery, evading a
police officer, driving recklessly and being an ex-felon in possession of a
gun, according to Alameda County Assistant District Attorney Tom Rogers. His girlfriend
was charged with robbery and assault with a deadly weapon.
Besides the grief Christopher’s family is going through,
they also face an enormous financial burden. A trust fund has been created in
the boy’s name at the Piedmont
Avenue branch of Wells Fargo bank. Anyone wishing
to make a donation can contact Wells Fargo regarding trust account No.
7013202606.
In addition, Crocker
Highlands Elementary
School, the school where the boy was a
fifth-grader, will be holding a bake sale and donation drive to help the
Rodriquez family, beginning at 1:30 pm
