Naman Shrestha
The Armstead couple — Miles and Melina — were leading a content life with their children in the Eastmont Hills neighborhood of Oakland, California, until their house and they were under attack for several months in early 2020. Unfortunately, the harassment ended with the sudden demise of Miles Armstead in May 2020, right outside his house. The swift investigation led the authorities to the perpetrator, who was ultimately brought to justice. Netflix’s ‘Worst Neighbor Ever: Fear Thy Neighbor’ covers the entire case in a detailed manner, through the interviews with Miles’ loved ones, including his wife, Melina.
Miles Armstead Was Setting Up His House For Sale When He Was Fatally Ambushed
Miles Bailer Armstead was the beloved son of well-to-do parents, with his mother, Bonnie Bailer, an attorney and educator, and his father, Dennis Armstead, an artist’s manager. Born on November 20, 1975, in Manhattan, New York City, Miles attended The Cathedral School of St. John the Divine, where he decided that he wanted to become a business executive. By the time he turned 13, he had gone through two major surgeries that could have caused permanent brain damage and blindness. At school, he was also a key player on the Varsity A soccer team. After moving to California with his family, Miles attended the Thacher School in Ojai to continue his education before going to the University of San Francisco, where he pursued his bachelor’s degree in Political Science. By the end of his teenage years, Miles had developed a passion for traveling and had explored about 19 countries.
After graduating from college, he went on to work in several big companies, including Wells Fargo, Bank of America, and Fremont Bank, achieving success and accolades as a successful wealth management banker. Having dated Alexandra Leigh Brown for years since college, he tied the knot with her in 2002 and had three children with her — Chloe, Quinn, and Elle. However, their marriage ultimately ended after 11 years as they got divorced. That didn’t stop him from remaining a doting father to his children. While working at Wells Fargo, he met Melina Ann Esquilin in May 2013 and fell for her. She also had a daughter, Isabella, from a prior relationship. After dating for a while, Miles and Melina bought a house together on the 7500 block of Ney Avenue in the Eastmont Hills neighborhood in Oakland in October 2017, and they married in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Both of them loved one another’s children as their own, which is what made their relationship even stronger. Being a sports enthusiast and soccer fan, Miles also served as a PTA board member and head soccer coach for 6 years with the Oakland Soccer Club. Miles and Melina became a part of the church’s Core Team and opened The Father’s House Oakland to serve the city. In April 2020, the couple moved to another neighborhood and decided to put their Eastmont Hills home for sale. At the time, they were also expecting their first child together in August 2020. Unfortunately, on May 1, 2020, the police received a call from one of the residents in the neighborhood, informing them about a shooting incident outside the Armstead residence in Eastmont Hills. When the authorities arrived at the scene, they found Miles dead due to multiple gunshot wounds.
Miles Armstead’s Former Neighbor Was Responsible For His Death
Prior to the tragic passing of Miles Armstead, he and Melina went through some of the most disturbing and dangerous months of their lives in their home in Eastmont Hills. It all started soon after their next-door neighbors, the Thomases, were evicted from the house in August 2019. The Thomas family comprised Patricia and Walter, who had two sons — Walter Jr. and Jamal Thomas. Also known as JT, Jamal continued squatting in the house on sale and sleeping in the garage area. On November 28, 2019, it is alleged that Jamal complained to the Armsteads that their dog was bothering him, which resulted in a heated argument between him and Miles.
In the days and weeks that followed, Jamal reportedly harassed the Armstead family by banging on their door and ringing their doorbell in the middle of the night. According to reports, Jamal also threw bricks and rocks through the glass windows of the house on multiple occasions. In one instance, Melina’s hands got wounded after he threw a brick at the window. Concerned for his family’s safety, Miles began staying on his porch at night with his dog, armed with a baseball bat. Even a restraining order against Jamal didn’t stop him from smashing their windows and banging on their door.
The Killer Was Apprehended Within Hours of the Shooting
Finally, on February 26, 2020, while Miles was in the middle of an altercation with Jamal, the police arrived and arrested the latter, while he gave criminal threats to the banker. However, Jamal was released two days later and continued bothering the couple. On April 6, 2020, Miles was almost struck by a flying rock that came through the window, ending up breaking his laptop. After they covered their glass windows with plywood, Jamal allegedly threatened to burn the family alive inside their house. Afraid that he might actually go through with it, Miles and Melina moved to another apartment in another neighborhood.
By then, a warrant was out for Jamal. Having decided to sell their Eastmont Hills home, Miles went to the house to do some yard work before putting the property up for sale on the afternoon of May 1, 2020. As per reports, Jamal approached Miles and shot him multiple times before fleeing the scene. About 7-8 hours later, the authorities tracked the shooter down at the Holiday Motel on MacArthur Boulevard by pinging his cell phone and arrested him in the parking lot. The detectives tied him to the killing of Miles Armstead with the help of physical evidence and witness statements. In July 2024, Jamal was convicted of first-degree murder and in April 2025, received a 28.8-year-to-life imprisonment sentence.
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