On the evening of December 30, 2024, 25-year-old Kody Tyler Johnston of Alameda was fatally shot in Oakland while helping a friend recover her stolen vehicle. Officers responded to a ShotSpotter activation around 9:00 p.m. on the 4300 block of Fleming Avenue and found Johnston with gunshot wounds; he was taken to a local hospital and later died of his injuries.

Investigators say Johnston had been assisting his friend in retrieving a stolen Lexus when a man, identified as 34-year-old Juan Montiel, confronted them, ordered Johnston out of the vehicle and then shot him. Authorities later linked Montiel to a broader car-theft operation; a January 31 search reportedly uncovered a chop shop with numerous stolen vehicles, weapons, body armor and equipment used to impersonate law enforcement. Montiel was arrested and charged by the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office in connection with Johnston’s homicide.

Friends and family remembered Johnston as a loyal and caring person whose presence brought joy to those around him; a memorial service was held January 11, 2025, at Greer Family Mortuary and Cremation Services in Alameda.

If anyone witnessed the shooting on Fleming Avenue that night or has information about the events leading up to it, please share what you know.