Taiwan Lamar Moore, a 24-year-old resident of Oakland, California, tragically lost his life on March 26, 2019. The incident occurred in the 1800 block of Church Street in East Oakland. According to reports, Moore was involved in a heated argument with his girlfriend, Lalique Westbrook, who was 18 years old at the time. The argument escalated into a physical altercation while they were sitting in a parked car. Although the physical confrontation ceased, the verbal dispute continued.
During this time, Westbrook allegedly retrieved a loaded gun from the car's center console and shot Moore multiple times. Moore succumbed to his injuries at the scene.
Following the shooting, Westbrook fled the scene but was later apprehended at the Kaiser Permanente Medical Center in Antioch. She was arrested and charged with murder by the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office. Westbrook admitted to the shooting during police interviews. In addition to the murder charge, she faced a special allegation of the personal and intentional discharge of a firearm, which resulted in great bodily injury to Moore. This enhancement could potentially increase her sentence if convicted.
The case proceeded through the legal system, with Westbrook being held at the Santa Rita Jail in Dublin without bail. She was scheduled to appear in court multiple times, including an arraignment and subsequent hearings to enter a plea. The tragic death of Taiwan Lamar Moore marked the 18th homicide in Oakland for the year 2019. The case drew significant attention due to the nature of the crime and the young ages of both the victim and the suspect.
