Castro Valley Man Ordered to Pay for Jewelry Stolen During Lootings After Mehserle Verdict

Bay City News 

Gerald Dugas of Castro Valley, one of two men arrested for looting in the wake of the Mehserle verdict last year, has been ordered to pay $25,000 to the owner of a jewelry store, a spokesman for the Oakland city attorney's office said Thursday.

Dugas and Oakland resident Terry Williams were both arrested during a wave of looting that followed the July 8 conviction of former BART
police officer Johannes Mehserle, Oakland City Attorney spokesman Alex Katz said. Williams was also ordered to pay the store owner $25,000, he said.

Mehserle was convicted of involuntary manslaughter for fatally shooting Oscar Grant at the Fruitvale BART Station on Jan. 1, 2009.

Dugas and Williams were part of a crowd of more than 200 looters
that broke through a security gate JC Jewelry at 1940 Broadway and stole
thousands of dollars' worth of jewelry, Katz said.

Looters also kicked in a window and punched a store employee, according to the city attorney's office.

Police arrested Dugas and Williams after finding gold jewelry stolen from the store in their pockets, according to the city attorney's office.

Oakland's Neighborhood Law Corps, a division of the city attorney's office, sued the two men for damages on Oct. 28, 2010.

Alameda County Superior Court Judge Richard Kelley ordered Williams and Dugas to pay $25,000 each in restitution to the owner of JC Jewelry, according to the city attorney's office.

"Oakland has a proud tradition of nonviolent protest and dissent," Oakland City Attorney John Russo said in a statement. "Those who use protests as nothing more than a cover to trash our town or loot homegrown businesses should consider carefully the court's ruling."