All the documents in the case have been sealed by a Santa Clara County judge and the prosecution isn't talking, but information is materializing through other sources and published reports.
Millionaire businessman Ravi Kumra was murdered in the home invasion robbery November 30. He was found dead inside his mansion in the wealthy enclave of Monte Sereno. Police still aren't saying how he was killed, but three men and a woman have been arrested in connection with the murder, Lucas Anderson, 26, Javier Garcia, 21, and DeAngelo Austin, 21. The fourth suspect, Raven Dixon is charged with being an accessory to the murder.
Austin is reportedly a member of an Oakland street gang called "The Money Team," a group that's tied to drugs and home invasions. Javier Garcia is said to be a member of a West Oakland gang called "Ghost Town." Two years ago, a multi-agency task force decapitated the leadership of Ghost Town. Many of the remaining members then allied themselves with The Money Team.
"They were like going through into the back, so we just walked in the closet and hide," a young boy told ABC7 News in August 2012. He was one of two brothers who hid in a closet in their house in Fremont during a home invasion. According to published reports, members of The Money Team were responsible for that attempted robbery.
"We're talking about murders, robberies, and shootings," Oakland Police Chief Howard Jordan said during a Monday news conference, referring to The Money Team. As he addressed a recent spate of shootings, Jordan identified The Money Team as one of two feuding groups responsible for the rising violence in his city.
Sources say Raven Dixon worked as a prostitute and that Kumra was a regular customer. A source with knowledge of the investigation said Dixon had talked openly with friends about her relationship with Kumra. The source also said that Garcia somehow heard about it and that he told Austin about her wealthy client and where he lived. Austin, Garcia, and Anderson then reportedly planned the home invasion.
All of the four arrested face gang enhancement charges. The initial police report says Dixon was wearing a Gucci belt which the arresting officer noted is a symbol of an Oakland street gang. Prosecutors may have found other reasons since Dixon's arrest to charge her with the gang enhancement but again, the court documents have been sealed.
Dixon's lawyer says he has talked to his client many times and she insists that she's never met the other three defendants before.
