Man’s death after apartment fire investigated by Oakland police as homicide

Oakland police are investigating the death of an Oakland man as a homicide after he was found Saturday morning inside of a burning apartment building with multiple lacerations to his body.

Authorities were called at 7:52 a.m. Saturday about a man screaming for help from the balcony of his Adams Point apartment on the 200 block of Vernon Street, after the unit appeared to have caught fire, according to Oakland police.

Firefighters managed to extinguish the blaze. But when they got to the 53-year-old man, they discovered he had multiple lacerations on his body. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

The man’s name has not been released. The exact cause of his death remains unclear, and an autopsy is planned by the Alameda County coroner’s office.

The incident represents the 19th death investigated as a homicide by the Oakland Police Department so far this year. Police had investigated the same number of killings at this same time in 2022.

No arrests have been announced. The cause of the fire also remains under investigation.

A reward of up to $10,000 is being offered for information leading to an arrest in the man’s death. Anyone with information about the case can call police at 510-238-3821 or 510-238-7950, or Crime Stoppers at 510-777-8572.