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Police investigate store vandalism
No suspects have been identified from video; cops say Black Muslims may be responsible
, FROM STAFF REPORTS

OAKLAND — Working off the videotape from one of the targeted businesses, police Friday tried to identify the suspected Black Muslims who invaded and trashed two West Oakland liquor stores.

No other liquor stores have been hit since the Wednesday night incidents, which one owner compared to a terrorist attack.

About a dozen men wearing dark suits and bow ties did tens of thousands of dollars' worth of damage to San Pablo Market and Liquor on San Pablo Avenue and New York Market on Market Street after demanding the stores stop selling liquor to African Americans.

The stores are owned by people of Middle Eastern descent.

The frightening actions were caught on videotape at the San Pablo Market, and it is that tape investigators are using in an attempt to identify suspects.

Police suspect Muslims associated with Your Black Muslim Bakery were involved, although no arrests have been made.

In a telephone interview Friday with the Tribune, a sister paper to The Argus, a man who identified himself as Yusef Bey IV, a bakery official, said the first time he learned about the incident was on television news and in the newspaper.

"I was surprised to hear about what happened," he said. "I have no idea who could have done this because there are a whole lot of Muslims around here."

Bey said Your Black Muslim Bakery is conducting its own investigation into the matter.

Police confirmed that in January 1993, Muslims affiliated with the bakery were involved in a similar incident in North Richmond.

The 1993 incident happened at a Third Street store and, at the time, the owner said it was because the Muslims wanted him to stop selling liquor.

But a Muslim leader said the dispute then involved their suspicions the store was an outlet for illegal drugs. Law enforcement

officials never confirmed those suspicions and tensions eventually eased.

Police said they have some theories about why Wednesday's incidents happened but could not discuss them publicly. It's known, however, that there have been leadership issues at the bakery since former leader Yusef Bey died of cancer in 2003.

Police and others said Muslims associated with the bakery are not part of the Nation of Islam, whose national leader is Louis Farrakhan.

There is a Nation of Islam-affiliated mosque, Muhammad Mosque 26B, in Oakland. Minister Keith Muhammad, a mosque leader and representative of Farrakhan, released a statement Friday about Wednesday's violence.

He said that "after careful review of recent news footage of individuals involved in actions against liquor stores and merchants in the city of Oakland, we have concluded that these individuals are not, nor have they ever been, members of the Nation of Islam, under the leadership of the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan or any affiliated mosques or study groups."

Minister Tony Muhammad, the Western regional representative of Farrakhan, will hold a news conference at 11 a.m. today at the mosque, 5277 Foothill Blvd.

Police and Crime Stoppers of Oakland are offering up to $10,000 in reward money for information leading to the arrests of the suspects. Anyone with information may call police at (510) 238-3326 or Crime Stoppers at (510) 238-6946.

http://www.insidebayarea.com/argus/localnews/ci_3253987