Crime & Safety
Fight Over Drugs Caused Murder at Homeless Camp
A missing syringe of methamphetamine led to a fight between the two transient men, according to court officials.
The murder of a homeless man at an encampment on the Concord-Pleasant Hill border was fueled by a fight over drugs, court officials say.
On the night of Wednesday, Dec. 5, James Riley, 38, accused 47-year-old Jerald Nagle of stealing a syringe of methamphetamine from Riley's girlfriend, according to Deputy district attorney Mary Knox, at an encampment by the Interstate 680 ramp on Concord Avenue.
Riley attacked Nagle with a knife and then proceeded to strangle him with what Riley described as a "judo hold," said Knox, as reported by the Contra Costa Times. Nagle died from strangulation, according to the coroner's report.
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Riley was arraigned Monday on charges of murder and assault with a knife. He is being jailed with bail set at $1 million, and will return for a plea hearing on Dec. 20.
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