OAKLAND — A Bay Area man accused of murdering a co-worker outside of the Tesla factory in Fremont allegedly announced he was quitting that morning, left to retrieve an AR-15-style short-barrel rifle, and returned to the area, where he waited for his victim to get off work, the police investigation found.
In the hours after quitting, 29-year-old Anthony Solima also wrote a note, hinting at what was to come, to a person whose name is redacted from court records. It read, “Tell my daughter I loved her Game (sic) that you played is over I know who you are [redacted] you’re good.”
Authorities allege that Solima gunned down 42-year-old Lee Braiser as Braiser was entering his car in the factory parking lot. Braiser was shot in the back of the head, and police recovered the suspected murder weapon — an AR-15-style rifle with no serial number — inside Solima’s car, according to court records.
A specific motive has not been made public, but authorities said Braiser and Solima had argued on the day of the homicide, and that not long after, Solima announced he was quitting. Others saw him angrily loading a toolbox into his vehicle before leaving the area that morning.
“Solima appeared to conceal his purpose from Lee (he ‘quit,’ left the factory and returned at a time he believed persons to be getting off work), waited for an opportunity to act and made a surprise attack on Lee from a position of advantage (Lee was shot in the back of the head; his keys still hanging from the vehicle door) which resulted in Lee’s death,” Fremont police Det. Michael Gebhardt wrote in a probable cause statement filed in court.
Police arrested Solima Monday on suspicion of murder. On Thursday, prosecutors charged him with murder and possessing an assault rifle. The murder charge contains special-circumstances allegations of lying in wait and personally shooting Braiser, which would make Solima eligible for life without parole or the death penalty if he is convicted.
Solima remains on a no-bail hold in Santa Rita Jail in Dublin. He has not yet entered a plea, court records show.When police attempted to interview Solima about what happened, he refused to make a statement, according to court records.
