Police announce arrest in slaying of muralist

Mourners join hands during a blessing of the Superheroes Mural Project at a dedication ceremony on West Street in Oakland, Calif. on Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2015. Artist Antonio Ramos was shot and killed while working on the mural on Sept. 29. less Mourners join hands during a blessing of the Superheroes Mural Project at a dedication ceremony on West Street in Oakland, Calif. on Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2015. Artist Antonio Ramos was shot and killed while ... more Photo: Paul Chinn, The Chronicle Buy photo Photo: Paul Chinn, The Chronicle Image 1 of / 24 Caption Close Police announce arrest in slaying of muralist 1 / 24 Back to Gallery

A man was arrested in connection with the death of an artist who was gunned down this year as he worked on an antiviolence mural in Oakland, police said Monday.

The suspect, whom Oakland police said they would name once formal charges had been filed, was arrested in the death of Antonio Ramos, 27, of Emeryville.

Ramos was working on a 4,000-square-foot mural in the 3500 block of West Street, under the Interstate 580 overpass, when he was fatally shot around 10:30 a.m. on Sept. 29, police said.

Soon after, investigators released a picture taken from surveillance footage showing a man they described as a “person of interest” in the case. Police did not name the man in the photo as a suspect, but said detectives would like to interview him in connection with the shooting.

Police believe the motive in Ramos’ shooting is related to something that erupted at the scene, rather than to a running dispute. In the immediate aftermath of the shooting, police pleaded with the public for help in tracking down the killer.

“It’s really tragic,” Oakland police Capt. LeRonne Armstrong said at a vigil for Ramos a day after the slaying. “This is when we hope the community knows the role they play in our investigation. When information is not provided, we allow the perpetrators to remain in the community.”

Police did not say whether the person arrested was the man shown in surveillance footage they released on Oct. 5.

Ramos’ death came during a particularly violent period in Oakland. Just three hours earlier, a body was discovered wrapped in a plastic sheet on the 2600 block of Union Street, about a mile from where Ramos was killed. Less than a week later, a popular ice cream truck driver was shot and killed in his vehicle in East Oakland.

“How many walls do we have to paint for this to stop?” Leano Rice, Ramos’ older brother, said during an Oct. 21 ceremony dedicating the finished mural to the memory of the victim.

Officials said they anticipate formal charges to be filed by the Alameda County district attorney’s office on Tuesday.

Kale Williams is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. E-mail: kwilliams@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @sfkale