Armstead and his family had moved out of the home because of Thomas - a former neighbor who had been previously evicted from his home. But Armstead, occasionally return to work on the house remodeling it for sale.
The Alameda County District Attorney’s Office filed murder charges against Thomas, 43, in the senseless murder of Armstead - a wealth management banker at Fremont Bank.
Thomas is also charged with two counts of assault with a deadly weapon.
The first incident occurred on March when the 43-year-old allegedly threw a large brick through a house window after Armstead’s pregnant wife made eye contact with him.
Thomas again threw a brick through their window on April 6, allegedly nearly hitting Armstead in the head. The brick damaged the window and Armstead’s laptop.
In February, Thomas was arrested after he allegedly threatened to burn Armstead's house down. Armstead told police on Feb. 26 that Thomas had broken his windows in the past and was a “chronic nuisance in the neighborhood” and “believes [Thomas’] threats to be credible due to his past behavior.”
Thomas was charged with making criminal threats but was released after pleading not guilty on Feb. 28, the Mercury News reports.
“The District Attorney’s Office argued against his release, objecting to the court’s ruling that allowed him to be freed on his own recognizance," Alameda County DA spokesperson Teresa Drenick said.Thomas was arrested at an Oakland hotel last Friday, eight hours after the fatal shooting. The motive is unclear.
He is being held without bail and is scheduled to be arraigned May 8.
Two GoFundMe accounts have been set up, one for his pregnant wife and another for his children from a previous marriage.
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