Union City fatal shooting resulted from Instagram DMs, ‘Taliban’ gang feud, police say

UNION CITY — Two alleged members of a gang known as “Taliban” have been charged with murder in connection with the shooting death of a Union City man who was allegedly killed inside his own home.

Joseph “JoJo” Rosales, 32, of San Jose, and Wilbert Ard, 38, of Fairfield, have been charged with murdering 38-year-old Michael McNack in an Aug. 31 shooting in Union City. A third suspect has been released without charges, records show. Prosecutors added gang enhancements to the murder charge.

McNack was fatally shot at his home on the 33500 block of 7th Street, police said. Detectives later linked the shooting to a feud between two East Palo Alto-based gangs, known as Taliban and Da Ville. They said in court records they identified Rosales, Ard and the third man as a suspects through “witness statements, social media record warrants, phone record warrants, and physical surveillance.”

Roughly a year before the shooting, one of McNack’s family members and Rosales allegedly exchanged angry messages on Instagram. In one, Rosales allegedly told the young man “Shut up (expletive) before I come to yo momma house, smoke u and yo dad (sic),” authorities said. McNack’s relative allegedly responded that he wasn’t “hard to find.”

Police say both Ard and Rosales participated in the shooting, which involved two gunmen. Both men are also charged with being felons in possession of firearms, records show.

Ard and Rosales are both at Santa Rita Jail, where they’re being held without bail. Their arraignment had been set for this week, but was postponed until Oct. 10, records show.