A judge released an Oakland man with a pending murder charge. Now he’s a fugitive in a new killing

OAKLAND — Months after a judge praised an Oakland murder defendant as a “wonderful young man” and released him from jail, police in Stanislaus County have publicly identified him as an “armed and dangerous” fugitive who allegedly killed a man last month.

Keyante Reed, 19, was released from jail in January by Alameda County Judge Elena Condes, and for the next several months was deemed compliant by Alameda County probation officials who run a pretrial release program. But then came September, when Reed was first wounded in a shootout almost identical to the one that led to his Oakland murder case.

He was hospitalized and jailed on suspicion of gun possession, then freed from custody, according to court records. Just 10 days later, he allegedly shot and killed a man on Sept. 19 in Riverbank in Stanislaus County, records show.

On Oct. 18, 2024, Reed was charged with murdering 50-year-old Lamar Payne in a Sept. 7, 2024 shootout outside the Go Go Amigo Market, near 105th Avenue and E Street in East Oakland. Police say Reed and two other men began firing at one another, killing Payne, a bystander, in the process. A second suspected gunman was identified as 21-year-old Michai Adams and charged with murder this year. A third suspect, 22-year-old Tamarkus Killensworth, was arrested on gun charges, court records show.

After Reed’s arrest, his lawyer argued in court that Reed — who turned 18 just six weeks before the homicide — was the victim of an ambush that day, and stating that he was targeted for violence by Payne’s friends inside Santa Rita Jail. One support letter from an engagement specialist at Laney College, described Reed as “one of the most respectful and considerate” students he had observed. Another letter, from Reed’s mother, said it was “mind boggling” that Reed would end up a murder defendant.

“My boy is a great kid. He’s smart, he’s a big help in my family. I love the way he interacts with his siblings. No matter what the situation is, you could count on him,” Reed’s mother wrote.

Judge Condes was at first apprehensive about releasing Reed, noting that it appeared from surveillance footage that he had fired at people who were “retreating” from the shootout. When she eventually signed off on his release to house arrest, Condes cited his enrollment at Laney College and the fact that Reed had been shot twice in Oakland since moving there from Las Vegas at age 16.

“You sound like a wonderful young man,” Condes told him in court. “I am sure that you are meant for much better things.”

But almost exactly one year to the day after Payne was gunned down, Reed returned to the same store, allegedly armed with a .40 caliber pistol, and the same thing happened again. This time, at around 11 a.m. last Sept. 9, police responded to a report of a shootout outside the GoGo Amigo market. They discovered two piles of casings, and found Reed, wounded by a 9 mm pistol, hiding with a handgun next to him, authorities said.

Police say the man who allegedly shot Reed was identified as De’Vonte Lowe, 33, and arrested on gun charges during a Sept. 18 traffic stop.

At the time of Reed’s arrest last year, Oakland police said he was known to sell marijuana near the store.

Reed was hospitalized, listed in stable condition, and once cleared by doctors, he was booked into Santa Rita Jail on suspicion of gun possession. At a court appearance the following day, Alameda County prosecutors made no motion to detain him for allegedly possessing a gun, nor did they end up charging him in the Sept. 9 shooting, court records show. He was released from jail within days of his arrest, with a court appearance set for Oct. 1.

Then, around 4 p.m. on Sept. 19, Stanislaus County Sheriff’s deputies responded to a report of a shooting on the 100 block of Claus Road in Riverbank, where they found Markesse Owens dying from gunshot wounds. He was pronounced deceased later that day. Investigators identified Reed as the suspect, and on Sept. 23, the sheriff’s office issued a public alert to be out on the lookout for Reed.

Reed did not show up for his Oct. 1 court appearance in Oakland, and so a judge issued a warrant for his arrest there, too.

Just three months ago, an Alameda County probation officer wrote that Reed appeared to be largely successful on pretrial release, despite not providing proof that he’d enrolled in a GED program.

“The defendant is a new father and appears to participate in the child’s life and upbringing on a regular basis. He is actively taking classes in parenting” the report says, later quoting a class supervisor who said, “Overall, Mr. Reed has shown commitment and progress in his reunification efforts.”

Police have described Reed as a Black man with black hair and brown eyes, standing at about 5 feet10 inches tall and weighing about 177 pounds. Police are urging anyone who sees him to call 911, and any witnesses in Owens’ killing to contact Detective Mario Hernandez at 209-525-7075. Anonymous tips can be made by calling Stanislaus Area Crime Stoppers at 866-602-7463.

Staff writer Harry Harris contributed reporting