Willie Bernstine IV, a father of two, was shot and killed outside his workplace by Joseph Westbrook, alleged gang member of the Swerve Team. The attack is linked to longstanding gang conflicts, specifically between factions in North Richmond and central Richmond. Authorities emphasize that Bernstine was uninvolved in any criminal activities. Westbrook, already facing serious charges related to gang violence, is now charged with murder with an enhancement for lying in wait. His associate, also linked to the Swerve Team, has not yet been arrested but remains a person of interest.
Westbrook, a 26-year-old Santa Clara resident, has allegedly long been a member of a North Richmond gang known as the Swerve Team, a group that was notoriously the target of a 2017 investigation involving three murders and 16 shootings around the East Bay.
In court filings, prosecutors say that he and Westbrook targeted Bernstine and showed up to his job because they believed he would be there.
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