The widow of a California banker allegedly killed by a squatter who had terrorized their family for months says that the Oakland Police Department ignored their pleas for help despite nearly two dozen calls to 911, according to a wrongful death lawsuit filed last week.
Melina and Miles Armstead moved into their dream home with their blended family in October 2017 on 76th Avenue. Miles, 44, had four children, including his stepdaughter, and Melina soon became pregnant with their first child together.
But their fresh start quickly turned into a nightmare when the squatter next door, Jamal Thomas, “began a relentless campaign of terror and harassment against the family,” the lawsuit alleges.
Thomas repeatedly broke into their home, threw stones and bricks through their windows and “severely injured” Melina, who was struck by broken glass when she was pregnant, according to the lawsuit.
CALIFORNIA DRIVER, 13, CHARGED IN DEADLY VEHICLE CRASH INVOLVING STOLEN VEHICLE
In less than six months, the family called police 23 times beginning in late 2019.
“When Oakland officers arrived, they complained they were understaffed, overworked and the family’s pleas for help were not high priorities,” wrote attorney Patrick Buelna in the federal complaint.
CALIFORNIA SHERIFF TORCHES NEWSOM FOR LEAVING PRISON SYSTEM IN ‘DISARRAY,’ PLANNING TO LET MURDERERS WALK FREE
“The harassment and assaults grew more dangerous and was so dismal that the Armsteads literally boarded up their newly purchased home in an effort to protect themselves from Mr. Thomas,” the suit alleges.
Miles, who was a wealth management banker at Fremont Bank, called police on Feb. 26, 2020, after Thomas threatened to burn down his home with his family inside, the complaint charges.
But when Oakland officer Alejandro Padilla arrived on the scene, he chastised them for “acting like 12-year-old girls,” then told Thomas to take a walk down the street rather than arrest him, the filing says.
Days later, Miles obtained a…
Read the full article here