OAKLAND – The son of a retired Union City police chief was in a position to prevent a murder last February, but that ultimately didn’t save him from prison.
Tyrone McAllister, 24, was convicted of robbery at the identical trial during which he escaped a murder conviction and was eventually sentenced to 13 years and eight months in prison. During the trial, his lawyer urged the jury to “go ahead” and find him guilty of the robbery that had taken place just hours before the murder.
According to records, McAllister was transferred to state prison on April 29.
At his sentencing, McAllister said he was sorry for the robbery and would reap the benefits of the rehabilitation programs in prison.
“I made a lot of mistakes while I was homeless and trying to find a way to live on my own,” he said. “I developed a lot of goals that helped me focus and solidify my newfound sense of direction… I deeply regret the things I did as a young person.”
McAllister went on trial last February for the 2019 murder of 32-year-old Janath Liyanage, but his lawyer convinced jurors it was not him. The prosecution's argument was based largely on the testimony of McAllister's co-defendant, Dennis Evans, who testified that the 2 had planned to commit armed robberies the night McAllister shot Liyanage while Evans waited in a getaway automotive.
However, the defense argued that McAllister unintentionally left his phone in Evans' vehicle before the 2 parted ways in which evening.
McAllister is the son of former Union City Police Chief Darryl McAllister, who retired in 2018. Tyrone McAllister's attorney, Annie Beles, said McAllister had no everlasting place to remain and was virtually destitute on the time of the robbery and murder.
Judge Scott Patton, who handed down the sentence, told the court he took no pleasure in it. He also said he didn’t consider the acts of which McAllister was acquitted, but added that McAllister's presumption of innocence didn’t mean he was “innocent,” in response to a transcript of the hearing. He said the robbery was a “very serious crime” that carried a certain quantity of danger.
“During a robbery, things can quickly go wrong and people can die,” he said.
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