8th person charged in slaying of innocent Oakland mother

Crime tape is seen near the home of Chyemil Pierce on Tuesday, March 10, 2015, in Oakland, Calif. Pierce, 30, a Kaiser employee, was slain and two other people were wounded when a gun battle erupted on the 2800 block of Chestnut Street. less Crime tape is seen near the home of Chyemil Pierce on Tuesday, March 10, 2015, in Oakland, Calif. Pierce, 30, a Kaiser employee, was slain and two other people were wounded when a gun battle erupted on the 2800 ... more Photo: Santiago Mejia, The Chronicle Photo: Santiago Mejia, The Chronicle Image 1 of / 3 Caption Close 8th person charged in slaying of innocent Oakland mother 1 / 3 Back to Gallery

An eighth person has been charged in the slaying of an Oakland mother hit by a stray bullet fired from a gunbattle near her home as she screamed at her children to run for cover nearly one year ago.

Joneria Reed, 37, was charged Monday with murder, joining seven other suspects who were arrested and charged following what officials believe was a gang-related firefight that took the life of 30-year-old Chyemil Pierce, a bystander trying to rush her kids, ages 7 and 9 at the time, to safety as a barrage of bullets rained down on the Chestnut Street neighborhood March 9.

U.S. Marshals arrested Reed of Oakland on Thursday in Antioch. She told detectives that she was a victim of battery by one of her co-defendants, 30-year-old Jerry Harbin Jr., according to a probable cause affidavit filed in Alameda County Superior Court. After Reed was pushed to the ground, the affidavit said, she called family members, 21-year-old Dijon Ward and 20-year-old Anthony Sims, who got into a confrontation with Harbin and other men upon arrival at the scene.

Pierce, a Kaiser human resources employee, had just picked up two of her children from school and parked her car. As the family was walking up to their house, the confrontation between two groups broke out farther up the block near 30th and Chestnut streets.

Her children ran and hid behind the family home, witnesses said at the time, and Pierce was killed in the crossfire. She also left behind another child, a 1-year-old at the time of the shooting.

Two of the men involved in the gunfight were shot but survived.

Police believe Ward, whom officials identified as Reed’s son, hid the gun used by Sims at the home of Reed’s mother. Investigators recovered the gun during a search of the grandmother’s residence, according to the affidavit.

In addition to Reed, Harbin, Ward and Sims, another four suspects have been charged in Pierce’s slaying: Alex Davis, 26, Michael Stills, 22, Shelton McDaniels, 30, and Julian Ambrose, 17.