Hayward PD: Man kills mother of his 5-year-old child, remains at large

At a press conference Wednesday, Hayward's police chief vowed to find the shooting suspect and asked for the public's help in tracking him down.

HAYWARD — Police pleaded for the public’s help Wednesday in tracking down a man suspected of gunning down the mother of his 5-year-old child, as well as critically injuring her new romantic partner.

Authorities suspect Vaughn Boatner, 33, of San Mateo fatally shot his former wife, Monique Aldridge, 30, in a brazen killing inside the woman’s Hayward home on May 11. Boatner appeared to flee his residence later that day, shortly before police detectives arrived with a warrant for his arrest — prompting authorities to ask the public Wednesday for any information that might lead them to him.

“He remains at-large and he should be considered armed and dangerous,” said acting Hayward police Chief Bryan Matthews said. “We believe Mr. Boatner has access to vehicles, but we do not currently know what he is using for transportation.”

Multiple neighbors called 911 at about 2 p.m. on May 11 after hearing gunfire erupt from inside Aldridge’s house on the 100 block of Cassia Drive, Matthews said. When police arrived, they found both Aldridge and her partner suffering from gunshot wounds.

Aldridge later died at a hospital. Her partner remained hospitalized Wednesday morning in critical condition, Matthews said.

Aldridge and Boatner had been married at one point, and while it is unclear if they were divorced, they had been separated “for some time,” Matthews said. Their 5-year-old child was found uninjured inside the house after the shooting, and she is currently being cared for by Aldridge’s relatives, police said.

At a press conference Wednesday, Matthews vowed to find Boatner, and offered his condolences to the relatives of the two people shot.

“No words can fill the void they must feel in their hearts, and I cannot imagine what they are going through,” Matthews said. “Please rest assured the men and women of the Hayward Police Department, and our law enforcement partners, will do all we can to ensure the individual responsible is brought to justice for these senseless acts.”

The U.S. Marshals Service has offered a reward of up to $10,000 for information leading to Boatner’s arrest. He has strong ties throughout the Bay Area, including as far north as Vacaville, Matthews said.

Anyone with information about Boatner’s whereabouts can call Hayward police at 510-293-7176 or the U.S. Marshal’s Service at 877-926-8332.