A total of six juveniles have been charged in connection with Boyer's death, but Oakland police Officer Phong Tran said in a probable cause statement filed in court that authorities believe Burton is the person who shot Boyer.
Tran said Burton was linked to the killing through physical evidence and witness statements and, after he was arrested, "he provided an admission of his involvement in the shooting death of the victim."
Boyer, 34, had worked as a paramedic for five years, the last two for Santa Clara County Ambulance. He was shot while driving on Keller Avenue just below Skyline Boulevard shortly before noon on April 2 and crashed his car down a ravine in the 5200 block of Keller Avenue. He died two days later.
Boyer, who grew up in Oakland, was in the city the day of the shooting to take his father to a medical appointment. He was a graduate of Sonoma State University, the Santa Rosa Fire Academy and the Foothill Paramedic Program, and is survived by his wife and family.
Prosecutors said the other boys in custody, who range in age from 13 to 15, have been charged in juvenile court with multiple felonies, including murder, for their alleged roles in the crime. Their names have not been released because they are not being tried as adults.
Tran said Burton and the other five teens saw Boyer in a parking area at Keller Avenue and Hanson Street, and that Burton and one of the other youths approached him "with the intent to forcefully take his vehicle."
Burton then allegedly shot Boyer during the attempted carjacking, Tran said.
Alameda County District Attorney Nancy O'Malley said in a statement, "This senseless murder has shocked the community of Oakland as well as all of us who work in the criminal justice system."
She said, "Mr. Boyer, a paramedic, dedicated his life to helping others. His brazen daytime killing at the hands of a 16-year-old armed with a gun is a tragedy on many levels. My office will ensure that justice is served."
Burton is the only suspect being charged as an adult. Court records show he admitted killing Boyer to police.
"I know he didn't do no murder. So I don't know why everybody thought he did a murder, but them boys he hang around with, they must have did it because I know he didn't. I was there with him at school when I dropped him off. I took him to the classroom and everything. I was there," Burton's uncle said.
In addition to murder, Burton faces a special-circumstance allegation that he murdered Boyer during the course of a carjacking, which could make him eligible for the death penalty if convicted.
ABC7 News contributed to this story.
