Sergeant says suspect arrested for carjacking after no-bail release is downside to new policy

A suspect has been arrested for allegedly carjacking one car and attempting to carjack a second vehicle shortly after he’d been released without bail from Santa Rita Jail in Dublin on suspicion of car theft, an Alameda County sheriff’s spokesman said.

The case shows the downside of a new California Judicial Council policy of releasing without bail suspects arrested for misdemeanors and low-level felonies in an effort to reduce overcrowding at jails in the wake of the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic.

Rocky Music, 32, was arrested by Oakland police at 7:50 a.m. Sunday on suspicion of car theft, according to Alameda County sheriff’s Sgt. Ray Kelly.

Music was taken to Santa Rita to be booked but was released at 7:23 p.m. Sunday. Kelly said Music walked to the Dublin BART station, where he allegedly carjacked a driver and took the vehicle to San Ramon, where he allegedly attempted to carjack another driver.

Music then fled from San Ramon police but was taken into custody after he allegedly kicked a police dog that had managed to track him down, Kelly said.

He is now being held at Santa Rita in lieu of $100,000 bail on suspicion of carjacking and harming a police officer’s dog and a misdemeanor offense of obstructing a police officer.

Because car theft isn’t considered a violent felony, Kelly said:

“You could steal a car every day and be released every day.”

He said Music is being kept in custody for now because carjacking is considered to be a serious felony.

Kelly said that since the new rules were implemented on April 13, he knows of one Alameda County suspect who has been arrested five times and another suspect who has been arrested three times.