SECOND SUSPECT CHARGED IN 2005 ARMED ROBBERY

SAN LEANDRO: Man, 20, already jailed in incident unrelated to theft,
shootout at medical marijuana dispensary

The Alameda County Sheriff's Office announced Tuesday the arrest of a
second man involved in an August 2005 robbery and shootout at a
medical marijuana dispensary in unincorporated San Leandro.

The Alameda County District Attorney's Office has filed robbery and
murder charges against Joseph McWoodson, 20, who is already being
held at Santa Rita Jail in Dublin in connection with an unrelated
incident. McWoodson is scheduled to be arraigned at 2 p.m. Tuesday in Hayward.

Sheriff's investigators believe McWoodson is part of a group involved
in an armed robbery at a Natural Source on Aug. 19, 2005. About 11:30
a.m. that day, a group of armed suspects confronted the dispensary's
employees as they came to work. The robbers forced the employees
inside the store and took cash and marijuana-related products.

One of the store employees was able to grab a revolver kept inside
the store and exchanged fire with the robbers as they fled. One of
the alleged robbers was shot and later died at Children's Hospital &
Research Center Oakland, where he had been dropped off.

The employees also captured Jarrell McKneely, one of the alleged
robbers. Last month, McKneely pleaded guilty to charges stemming from
the robbery.

Witnesses came forward to help the Sheriff's Office because they were
upset that 17-year-old Demarco Lowery died during the course of the
robbery, said Sheriff's Sgt. Scott Dudek. Although the other robbers
did not shoot Lowery, investigators say they were committing a crime
that eventually led to Lowery's death, Dudek said.

The investigation is continuing to find the others involved, as many
as three other people. Dudek asks anyone with information to call him
at 510-667-7478 or Detective Michael Godlewski at 510-667-3655.