Investigators from the Alameda Police Department (APD) Violent Crimes Unit arrested two suspects on Monday, Aug. 20, for the April homicide of an Alameda business owner.

Paul Paez, 38, and Donte Holloway, 39, were arrested for the murder of 61-year-old Cindy Le. Both men are from Oakland.

Paez was officially charged with murder, second-degree robbery, attempted second-degree robbery and more. Holloway was charged with the same three offenses, but also assault with a deadly weapon and a parole violation. Paez is being held at Santa Rita Jail, while Holloway is being held at Glenn Dyer Jail. 

The homicide was the result of an attempted robbery by the pair at the Pho Anh Dao restaurant, at 1919 Webster St., (“Robbery Escalates into Year’s First Homicide,” April 17). Le was the restaurant’s owner. According to APD, the robbery attempt gone wrong took place at about 11 p.m. on Friday, April 6. 

Surveillance video, taken from a business next door, showed the struggle between Le and the two suspects outside the restaurant, according to court documents. Investigators believe the alleged murderers were trying to steal Le’s purse. Holloway allegedly used a metal pipe. 

Paez is accused of punching Le, causing her to fall and hit her head on the pavement, causing the fatal injury. Her daughter’s 28-year-old boyfriend was also injured while trying to help. APD Lt. Wayland Gee said that when police officers arrived on scene, they learned that there had been a robbery attempt at the restaurant and that the suspects had fled. 

Le passed away four days later on Tuesday, April 10. 

Police investigators were assisted in the arrests on the morning of Aug. 20 by the SWAT team and other outside law enforcement agencies. The search warrant for Paez was executed early last Monday. They also executed a search warrant of the residence where he was staying on 65th Avenue in Oakland. 

Paez was arrested at 6:40 a.m., according to the Alameda County Inmate locator database. 
Donte Holloway was contacted later that afternoon on Edgewater Drive in Oakland and arrested on probable cause. He was arrested at 1:27 p.m. There are no other suspects outstanding, according to Alameda police reports.

Paez and Holloway were identified as suspects after countless hours of examining surveillance footage, DMV databases, license plate reader databases and cellular data.

Paez and Holloway were ultimately found to have followed Le from Oakland to the restaurant location in Alameda.  

Both men are being held without bail. Holloway’s revocation of probation hearing was set for Tuesday, Aug. 28. Both men will have their plea hearings on Friday, Sept. 21.