Alameda library aide charged with beating neighbor to death in Oakland

Alexander Northern, 23, allegedly beat his neighbor and stood on his chest, and later told police the victim attacked him with a wrench and sprayed him cleaner.

OAKLAND — A local resident has been charged with murder for allegedly beating his neighbor to death, the culmination of growing tensions over the victim’s habit of playing loud music, authorities said.

Alexander Northern, 23, of Oakland, was charged with murder in the death of Wai Tsui, who succumbed to his injuries a month after Northern allegedly beat him during a heated argument. He remains in Santa Rita Jail without bail and is next due in court March 15, to enter a plea.

Police say Northern has been diagnosed with a developmental and neurological disorder, for which he was taking medication, and was briefly placed into a mental health hold after his Feb. 10 arrest. In an interview, Northern would later tell police that Tsui sprayed him with a cleaning chemical and came after him with a wrench, but also admitted to knocking down Tsui and stepping on his chest out of anger, police said.

Tsui suffered brain bleeds, a half-dozen broken ribs, and extensive injuries to several organs, police said. The attack occurred on Jan. 6, but Tsui survived for more than a month, then died from his injuries on Feb. 8, authorities said.

Authorities say that Northern — who worked as a part time aide for a library in Alameda — lived next door to Tsui at a complex on the 600 block of 10th Street in Oakland. The two argued consistently over Tsui playing music, which Northern said disrupted his sleep.

Northern told police that after he confronted Tsui about the music, Tsui sprayed him with a bottle of cleaning fluid and brandished a metal wrench at him, leading to the fight. Northern admitted to choking Tsui and punching him at least four times in the face and stomach, authorities said.

In the weeks between the incident and Tsui’s death, Northern was arrested on suspicion of battery and posted bail. After Tsui died, Northern was re-arrested, this time on a murder charge, court records show.

In addition to the murder charge, Northern faces an enhancement for allegedly killing a “particularly vulnerable” victim, court records show.