Was a wild Oakland shootout tied to former Mayor Sheng Thao corruption case?

OAKLAND, Calif. (KGO) -- We are learning more about a wild shootout that may be connected to the federal corruption case involving former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao. We're hearing from the man targeted in that shooting, and a witness who saw it all happen.

Mario Juarez is in a difficult place. He can't speak out because he could be a witness in that federal corruption case against former Mayor Sheng Thao and others. Still, he wants to know why police arrested two suspects in December for the shooting at his home -- but released them without warning him.

You can still see a bullet hole in the rain gutter at Mario Juarez's house in the Fruitvale neighborhood, nine months after the shootout.

Sheila Campos lives across the street. She tells me she was headed to work after 9 p.m. when she saw a car drive by three times, firing at Juarez's house and Suburban. "And then it stopped there, and it shot like two times," she told the I-Team.

On the last pass, Mario Juarez came outside with his 40-caliber Glock.

"And he started shooting back," Campos said. "Like firing back. Pow, pow, pow, pow, pow, pow, pow, pow. And the car just kind of skeeted off but kind of fast. He was in the middle of the street shooting, like, trying to get him."

MORE: US attorney's office seeks Duong family records from city of San Leandro in Sheng Thao case: report

The I-Team's Dan Noyes has been speaking with Mario Juarez by an encrypted phone app. He tells us he can't be in Oakland right now, because he still fears for his life. He sent a written statement first reported by the San Francisco Chronicle that says, "Two suspects were nabbed in December 2024, tied to these attacks. But justice? It never came."

Oakland police made the arrests, but the DA's Office - just days after Pamela Price left office because of the recall - allowed the suspects to walk without charges, and without informing Juarez that the men who may have shot at him were back on the streets.

Dan Noyes: "It's an issue of safety, right?"
Ernie Castillo: "Yes, absolutely. It's definitely an issue of safety."

Ernie Castillo is Mario Juarez's attorney.

Castillo: "When you have people come to your house and you get into a shootout and people shoot at you, that's a huge concern. So, we should have been notified by that former administration 100%."

MORE: Former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao faces up to 95 years in prison on federal charges

Mario Juarez recently had a fraud case against him dropped; he was accused of bouncing checks for a mailer that supported Sheng Thao in her race for mayor. As part of that case, Juarez accused then-District Attorney Pamela Price of demanding $25,000 from him to help her recall, saying when he refused, she filed the criminal case against him.

Castillo said, "And in that motion were declarations and statements by witnesses, including Mario Juarez, that the former administration had tried to shakedown Mario for $25,000. And if he had not contributed to that campaign for $25,000, then they would charge him."

Through her attorneys, Price denied asking Juarez for money.

Back to the shooting in June - neighbors confirm to me that the day after the gunfire, the FBI canvassed the neighborhood looking for witnesses and surveillance video. And just 10 days later, agents raided the homes of then-Mayor Sheng Thao, her partner Andre Jones, and David and Andy Duong, owners of California Waste Solutions. They're all charged with Conspiracy, Bribery, Mail and Wire Fraud and more. Federal prosecutors also claim Thao agreed to purchase modular units for the homeless from Evolutionary Homes, a company run by the Duongs and Mario Juarez.

Though he is not named in the indictment, Juarez appears to be unindicted "co-conspirator 1" who acted as a go-between for the Duongs and Sheng Thao. Now, Mario Juarez says, "They saw me as a threat-not because I'm perfect, but because I wouldn't bow. They wanted me dead to keep their secrets safe, to silence a voice that wouldn't shut up. They picked the wrong man."

The DA's office tells us they're taking a fresh look at the shooting case. One month before that happened, Mario Juarez says he was beaten by 10 men outside the headquarters of California Waste Solutions. He is expected to testify in the federal corruption case.

Take a look at more stories by the ABC7 News I-Team.