HAYWARD — He consistently denied killing his longtime girlfriend, but allegedly made a specific admission to police: on the night she was killed he became infuriated over her tab at a local liquor store.
Wilbert Daggs, 75, claimed he had an arrangement with the owner of Country Liquors in Hayward to not allow 55-year-old Stacey Madaris to run up a tab more than $30. He told police that he learned she had an $80 tab at the store on Oct. 29, 2023, but that he paid it off and then brought some more alcohol to Madaris at her apartment, according to court records.
Madaris was killed that very night. Witnesses allegedly told police that a man loosely matching Daggs’ description walked her to her apartment on the 400 block of Berry Avenue, a gun in his hand. The two disappeared from eyewitnesses’ view, then gunfire rang out, followed by a woman screaming. Then there was at least one more shot, authorities said.
Daggs was a longtime suspect, but consistently denied involvement. Last December, police obtained a warrant to arrest him. He was taken into custody on Tuesday, and now faces charges of murder and being a felon in possession of a firearm, court records show.
Daggs is being held at Santa Rita Jail in Dublin without bail. His arraignment was initially set for Thursday but has been put over to Friday morning, court records show.
Police say they interviewed Daggs roughly two weeks after Madaris was killed. He admitted to being in her apartment before she was killed, but said it was only to drop off liquor and that he left shortly thereafter, according to court records. He denied having anything to do with the shooting.
Surveillance footage confirmed that Daggs was at the liquor store that evening, purchasing E&J Brandy and Hennessy. Witnesses told police that Daggs and Madaris were a longtime couple and described her as an “alcoholic” who frequented the liquor store. Daggs told police that he tried to keep her alcoholism in check by having the store owner promise not to credit her more than $30, authorities allege.
During the interview, Daggs admitted to being upset but said his ill feelings were directed more toward the store owner than Madaris. Police say they have some evidence that could indicate her killing was premeditated; Daggs allegedly turned his phone off before the killing, then reactivated it afterwards, which prevented Hayward police from determining if Daggs left his Oakland home that night.
Authorities allege that police found the same caliber bullets as were used to kill Madaris in a 2023 search of Daggs’ home.