SAN LEANDRO — Last year, 26-year-old Nathaniel McCowan was recently divorced and struggling to make ends meet, so he resorted to selling his treasured possessions online, according to authorities.
Around the same time, a young man named Robert Donnelle Hughes had gotten a job for FedEx at the Oakland airport working evenings. But according to police, Hughes was also out to make a quick buck. He and McCowan allegedly ended up face-to-face on April 1, 2024, when authorities say Hughes shot and killed McCowan while robbing him for a PlayStation 5.
Surveillance footage showed a man grabbing the video game console, shooting McCowan and running back to a Honda where two to three others were waiting, according to police. The homicide occurred around 6 p.m., near the intersection of Hesperian Boulevard and Colby Street in San Leandro.
Hughes, 19, was a suspect early into the investigation, but it wasn’t until Feb. 27 that prosecutors filed murder charges against him, accusing him of murdering McCowan and possessing a concealed gun during the robbery. Now Hughes is behind bars without bail, and due in court next on March 6, records show.
Hughes was identified as a suspect after police learned he’d been pulled over two days earlier in Contra Costa, while driving the Honda. His cellphone was also present at the scene, authorities said.
Hughes was arrested on suspicion of murder and robbery last June, and police say they found a handgun in his possession. During a subsequent interview, he claimed that it was actually another person — a guy he’d gone to middle school with — who was responsible for robbing and killing McCowan, authorities said.
The Alameda County District Attorney’s Office announced the charges on Tuesday, with newly-appointed DA Ursula Jones Dickson calling it a “senseless” reminder of how robberies can lead to physical harm.
“We all must work harder to encourage less gun violence, and to ensure that when gun violence occurs, we support victims and families of victims as they seek peace and justice,” she said in a written statement.