Max Michael Wade’s name was once only found in the 2007-08 Del Mar Middle School yearbook under the title “Biggest Rebel.”
Now his name can be found in newspapers around the Bay Area along side allegations of vehicle theft and attempted murder.
After tracing Wade back to a storage facility in Point Richmond in April, police found various illegal goods allegedly belonging to him, including an assault rifle, a replica SFPD uniform, and cell phone jamming equipment.
According to Sheriff’s Lieutenant Barry Heying, Wade is being charged with one count of attempted murder and one count of taking a vehicle without the owner’s consent.
Local authorities said that after obtaining video surveillance footage from a gas station in Mill Valley, they were able to identify a motorcyclist atop a black motorcycle and a black helmet with the logo “Bilt.”
Investigators then went to a store in San Francisco where “Bilt” helmets were sold. Surveillance footage from this store revealed footage of a young man purchasing a black “Bilt” helmet prior to the shooting.
This young man was later identified by one of the victims of the shooting as Max Wade.
According to Heying, investigators traced Wade from the Marin County Civic Center to his storage facility in Point Richmond.
Wade entered a storage unit registered under his name and emerged driving a Lamborghini. After driving it around Richmond, he returned to the storage facility.
It was here that police arrested him.
“He tried to run away, but they cornered him in the storage facility,” Heying said. “They found a handgun in his waistband. It is unclear as to whether or not he intended to pull the gun.”
In addition to the assault rifle, replica police uniform, and the jamming equipment, Heying said that the same items involved in the alleged shooting were found.
“At the storage facility they found the motorcycle that was used in the shooting, the gun that was used in the shooting, and a black helmet,” Heying said.
According to Heying, what was found in Wade’s storage facility alluded to a life of crime.
“He did have some plans for future crimes,” he said. “A lot of it involved plans for robberies of certain businesses.”
According to police, Wade’s purported crime spree started when he allegedly rappelled into British Motor Car Distributors’ dealership on March 7, 2011 in San Francisco and stole a 2008 Lamborghini Gallardo belonging to celebrity chef Guy Fieri.
Police and investigators linked Wade’s two alleged crimes together after finding a Lamborghini in Wade’s storage facility.
“We didn’t know that he was involved in the Lamborghini theft until we got involved in the storage unit,” Heying said. “The Lamborghini was found by happenstance.”
Heying also said that other evidence was found in the storage unit that would indicate that Wade was capable of committing the vehicle theft.
“There was climbing gear and a rappelling device found in his storage unit,” he said.
About a year after the Lamborghini was stolen, Wade allegedly fired five rounds at a white pickup truck containing Landon Wahlstrom and Eva Dedier. According to Heying, the act was done in broad daylight, the gunman atop a black motorcycle and clad in all black.
Several weeks after the shooting, Wade was arrested and transported to the Juvenile Detention Center in San Rafael.
On Wade’s 18th birthday, he was transported to the Marin County Jail. Incidentally, a breakout attempt was carried out on the same date, in which several individuals used a sledgehammer to try to break through the window leading to Wade’s cell, according to Chief Probation Officer Michael Daly.
“At approximately 5 a.m. I received a call from a supervisor at Juvenile Hall,” Daly said. “She told me that there was an attempt to break Max Wade’s window in an apparent attempt to have him released.”
Daly said that although there is reason to believe that the attempt was an effort to free Wade, it has not yet been proven in a court of law. However, he also said he was fairly certain that the jailbreak attempt was targeted at Wade.
According to Daly, it is unclear how the jailbreaker(s) knew in which cell Wade was being held.
“Parents, telephone calls, and kids being released are all possible avenues of letting other people know where Max was located,” he said. “Kids get released out of Juvenile Hall on a daily basis and they may have known where he was located.”
Wade is now being held in the Marin County Jail, where he awaits his upcoming trials, the dates of which have yet to be announced.
Wade has pleaded not guilty to all charges.