OAKLAND, Calif. (KRON) -- On Friday, Castlemont High School held a graduation ceremony in Oakland without one of its most inspiring teachers. Marvin Boomer, a math teacher who led the school's college preparatory program, was killed while walking with his girlfriend on East 21st Street in Oakland just two days before his senior students received their diplomas.
Boomer and his girlfriend were struck by a car that fled from California Highway Patrol officers Wednesday evening.
Officers terminated their pursuit seconds before the deadly collision, however, the suspect continued driving recklessly, according to CHP officials. The driver, Eric Scott Hernandez-Garcia, 18, of Oakland, had a history of running from East Bay law enforcement, the CHP said.
Boomer was a beloved and influential educator on Castlemont's campus. He had recently completed his Ph.D in Educational Research and Policy Analysis.
Teacher Marvin Boomer"Dr. Boomer was more than a teacher -- he was a mentor, a friend, and a source of strength and inspiration in the halls of Castlemont. His legacy will live on in the school community and in the countless lives he helped shape," Oakland Unified School District officials wrote Friday.
East 21st Street resident Sarah Polk was looking out her window at the same moment that a car plowed into a tree, a fire hydrant, and two people who were walking on the sidewalk just before 8 p.m. Wednesday.
"Bam! Like an earthquake. I've never seen nothing like this before," Polk told KRON4.
The terrifying crash was captured on video by home security cameras. Neighbors rushed outside to help the victims. Boomer died at the scene. His girlfriend was bleeding and holding her arm, Polk said.
Witnesses said CHP officers arrived within seconds because they were not far behind. Polk's son said, "There is no reason for this death at all."
Roses are seen at a memorial in Oakland where teacher Marvin Boomer died. (KRON4 Photo)Khantane Jackson worked with Boomer providing support for high school students after graduation. "He just got his Ph.D," Jackson said while he stood at a growing memorial at the crash site. Jackson lit candle and said, "Seeing him bring his light to Castlemont, it was beautiful for me. I got to see how much the students trusted him."
For seniors who accept their diplomas on Friday, Boomer would have wanted to see his students carrying on the joy he brought to their education journey, Jackson said.
"Walk the stage, be happy, carry that joy. But also release that hanging grief, because there is going to be a lot of grief. I'm praying the students can hold space for both," Jackson said.
After news of the beloved teacher's sudden death spread, friends shared heartfelt messages on social media.
One friend wrote that Boomer "took so many under his wings and inspired so many. The way he could command a room. He truly made being smart cool."
Another friend wrote on Facebook, "He was loved by the East Oakland community and will be sorely missed. He grew up in Memphis and we talked about our mutual hometown often when we worked together. I cannot believe that your life has been snatched away from us."
An Oakland Unified School District spokesperson said Boomer was a vital educator at Castlemont High School. For eight years, he worked as a math teacher and College and Career Pathways Coach.
The OUSD spokesperson wrote, "His warmth, wisdom, and joyful spirit left a lasting impact on students and fellow educators. Today, the seniors he worked so closely with will walk the stage and receive their diplomas at Castlemont’s Commencement. School staff, families, and the District will celebrate our students’ accomplishments with love and excitement just as Dr. Boomer always did."
After Wednesday's crash, Hernandez-Garcia was arrested and booked into Santa Rita Jail.
A mangled car is seen after it crashed into two pedestrians in Oakland on May 28, 2025.District Attorney Ursula Jones Dickson said prosecutors charged Hernandez-Garcia with vehicular manslaughter, evading police, and hit-and-run.
A law enforcement source provided KRON4 with the following timeline for the May 28 incident:
Around 7:30 p.m., CHP officers were patrolling around Oakland when they saw a car that had previous evaded Alameda County Sheriff’s Office deputies. CHP officers tried to conduct an enforcement stop on the car in a parking lot on International Boulevard and 102nd Avenue, but the driver immediately drove away. CHP ground unit officers chased the car for 37 seconds before terminating the brief pursuit. A CHP fixed-wing aircraft continued monitoring overhead. For the next 15 minutes, air unit officers watched the car as it drove along a freeway and city streets. Officers in the aircraft saw the car pull to the curb at 1844 5th Street, and the air unit guided patrol vehicles on the ground to the suspect's location. As patrol vehicles approached, the driver bolted back inside the car and fled again. This triggered a second CHP pursuit. Within the next 30 seconds, the fleeing car crashed into a minivan on Park Boulevard near 21st Street. Victims in the minivan suffered minor injuries. Within 25 seconds of the minivan crash, CHP officers terminated their second pursuit while Hernandez-Garcia continued driving in a reckless and dangerous manner. Twenty second later, the suspect's car crashed into a tree, destroyed a fire hydrant, continued out-of-control onto a sidewalk, and ran over Boomer and Boomer's girlfriend. The pedestrians were hit at the intersection of East 21st Street and 12th Avenue.The Alameda County District Attorney's Office wrote, "Although the CHP chase was called off, it is alleged that Mr. Hernandez Garcia continued to drive recklessly with a disregard for the safety of others, lost control of the stolen car in an intersection of a residential neighborhood, and struck two individuals who were walking on the sidewalk. One of the victims, Marvin Boomer, an Oakland high school teacher, was struck and killed."
Jones Dickson said, "Mr. Hernandez Garcia’s callous disregard for the safety of our community has resulted in the tragic death of Marvin Boomer."
The Anti-Terror Police Project is holding a memorial Friday night to honor Boomer's life and protest high-speed police chases. ATPP leaders assert that Boomer was "tragically killed as an innocent bystander during a reckless California Highway Patrol pursuit."
ATPP is demanding an end to all police chases "that put Black and Brown lives in constant jeopardy," the community organization wrote.
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