Isamaeli Mata'afa Death: 2 Men Charged With Murder; 1 Woman Booked As Accessory To Crime

Three suspects have been arrested in connection with the fatal shooting of California student Isamaeli Mata'afa earlier this month.

Berkeley Police Department arrested the trio of suspects — two men and a woman — Tuesday night. Andy Gutierrez-Rebollo, 24, and Michael Monrroy-Ramos, 23, were nabbed on suspicion of murder and attempted murder by shooting from a vehicle, while Monrroy-Ramos' sister, Jessyca Monrroy, 31, was taken into custody on suspicion of being an accessory to the crime.

All three suspects were held without bail in Berkeley City Jail, and their arraignment has been set for Friday morning at Oakland's Wiley W. Manuel Courthouse, East Bay Times reported, citing Alameda County Jail records.

The incident took place in the 2300 block of Telegraph Avenue near Durant Street, a busy intersection near the University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley) campus, at around 1 a.m. on Oct. 8.

Mata'afa, along with three male relatives, all in their 20s, were walking toward their car after a night out when "two suspects approached the group and started a fight," a Berkeley police spokesman told the outlet Thursday.

The gunfire sent students and others in the area fleeing for safety, according to Berkeleyside.

"During that fight, both suspects pulled out guns and opened fire — striking all four men and causing numerous people in the area to flee from the gunfire," Officer Byron White, the department spokesman, said, as per East Bay Times.

Mata'afa's three relatives sustained injuries in the shooting.

No charges had been filed with the Alameda County District Attorney's Office as of mid-day Thursday, according to the outlet.

"During the search/arrest warrants, a number of firearms were recovered — including several un-serialized guns (AKA ghost guns) as well as evidence that other ghost guns were being produced there," White added.

"This shooting was one of the most horrific acts of violence our community has experienced in recent memory. We are thankful we were able to bring those responsible for the violence to justice and we are grateful for the community's continued support," White said further.

Mata'afa was a student at UC Berkeley's Pacific School of Religion (PSR), pursuing a Master of Divinity degree since the spring of 2020. He was committed to serving God and his community in San Lorenzo and the greater Bay Area, and addressing climate change was among his top priority. His devastating death has reportedly affected the entire PSR community.

Rev. Ann Jefferson, PSR's director of community life and spiritual care said, "When any member of our community is taken so suddenly from us — and in particular, to the plague of senseless gun violence — the web and interwoven fiber of our community life is also torn apart."

"We will mourn the loss of Isamaeli, his contributions to our community, and his extended community of faith, and we as a community pledge to do our part to remember his life by working for the flourishing of peace in our world," Jefferson added.