The August shooting death of a well-regarded dentist in Oakland's Little Saigon appears to be a murder-for-hire, officials said Friday, adding that two suspects had been arrested.
Dr. Lili Xu was shot and killed Aug. 21 in the 1000 block of Fifth Avenue.
The two suspects who were arrested – 73-year-old Nelson Chia of Oakland and 33-year-old Hasheem Bason of Stockton – are accused of plotting and carrying out the killing. Chia appears to have died by suicide Friday while in custody, the Alameda County Sheriff's Office said.
"This is not a case about race," Oakland police Chief LeRonne Armstrong said Friday. "This is a case about greed."
The Oakland Police Officers Association confirmed Chia was Xu’s boyfriend.
A surveillance camera captured the slaying. The video shows Xu was in a black sedan as a white sedan pulled up beside her. A suspect got out and ran over to the passenger side of Xu’s car. There was an audible scream and then the sound of three gunshots.
Xu had just turned 60 years old. She was a well-regarded dentist with offices in Oakland and Castro Valley.
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