June 26, 2023
OAKLAND, Calif. – A man has been was charged in the killing of a California bakery owner who died during a strong-armed robbery after being dragged by the getaway car and hitting her head in the middle of the street while trying to cling to her purse.
Ishmael Jenkins Burch, 19, was charged with murder and second-degree robbery in the killing of Jen Angel, 48, in February. Burch also faces one count of battery due to a second robbery that occurred on the same day, Law&Crime reported.
Burch was identified as the driver. Police said he committed a second robbery nearby that same day. Cellphone data and surveillance footage helped identify him as a suspect, according to The Mercury News.
The accused killer was arrested June 2. He was booked at the Santa Rita Jail in Dublin and is being held without bail. According to online jail records, he is next scheduled to appear in court on July 14.
A group of trusted friends representing the estate of Angel, said on a website that her loved ones are committed to pursuing all available alternatives to traditional prosecution.
“Jen’s family and close friends ask that the media respect this request and carry forward the story of her life with celebration and clarity about the world she aimed to build,” the statement said. “Jen’s family and friends ask that stories referencing Jen’s life do not use her legacy of care and community to further inflame narratives of fear, hatred, and vengeance. We do not support putting public resources into policing, incarceration, or other state violence that perpetuates the cycle of violence that resulted in this tragedy.
“Steps absolutely need to be taken to ensure that those who caused this horrendous violence against Jen do not harm other people and that these circumstances are not allowed to be replicated in our society,” the statement continued. “However, Jen believed that the current legal system is not effective in ensuring either of these things and that the existing system of carceral punishment does not make society safer.”
Law Officer article, February 10, 2023
OAKLAND, Calif. – A radical self-described anarchist who owned a bakery in Oakland, California has died following a strong-armed robbery on Monday. The woman who believed in the abolishment of law enforcement sustained severe injuries during the violent crime, and passed away on Thursday, according to reports.
Jen Angel, 48, was dragged for nearly 50 feet after struggling with two men in a vehicle who tried to steal her purse. The social justice reform advocate had a strict policy of never calling the police, the Post Millennial reported.
Investigators said the purse-snatching incident took place about 12:29 p.m. Monday in the 2000 block of Webster St. less than a mile away from her shop, Angel Cakes bakery.
Angel was in the parking lot when a suspect vehicle blocked her exit. A perpetrator approached her car, smashed a window, reached inside to grab her purse and then fled to the waiting getaway car, CBS News Bay Area reported.
The woman chased after the suspect and attempted to retrieve her property. However, she became caught in the fleeing vehicle’s door and was dragged more than 50 feet before dropping off.
As a result, Angel sustained serious head injuries. She was rushed to the Highland Hospital Trauma Unit, but the medical team soon revealed she was unlikely to survive. Her family announced Thursday evening that she had been “medically declared to have lost all brain function and will not regain consciousness,” thus declaring her dead.
A radical leftist baker in Oakland who believes in the abolishment of the law has tragically died after being dragged to death by robbers. Jennifer Angel, who ran Angel Cakes, was an anarchist activist. Her GoFundMe says they hope her killers (believed to be black) aren't jailed. pic.twitter.com/ocMqBa6wBu
— Andy Ngo (@MrAndyNgo) February 10, 2023
In a GoFundMe organized to cover expenses, her family said that if police locate the suspects, they are “committed to pursuing all available alternatives to traditional prosecution, such as restorative justice.”
