OAKLAND — A 49-year-old man was fatally shot late Thursday in the Fruitvale district near a van he may have been living out of, police said.

Investigators said Friday he may have been killed by someone trying to rob him.

The man was identified as Rick Janz. He is believed to be from Long Beach.

Police said the slaying happened about 11:35 p.m. in the 1400 block of Derby Avenue.

Janz's body was found about 10 feet behind a parked van that police later determined was his, Sgt. Todd Crutchfield said. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Based on items found in the van, police believe Janz was apparently living out of the vehicle, Crutchfield said. The motive for the killing is unknown, but police have not ruled out the possibility that the killer may have been trying to rob Janz, the sergeant said.

No one has been arrested. The killing was Oakland's 52nd homicide of the year. Last year at this time there were 35 homicides.

The 51st homicide victim was a 38-year-old man who died Feb. 20. The Alameda County Coroner's Office this week determined he suffered fatal injuries when he was restrained by three men holding him for police after he was caught breaking into a shed belonging to one of the men, police said.

Police identified him as Michael Zeno of Oakland. He was on parole for receiving stolen property and had a history of theft and drug arrests and convictions, police said.

The coroner's office ruled

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that Zeno died as a result of "blunt force trauma to the head and physical restraint,'' police said.

The Alameda County District Attorney's Office has already ruled the three men, who have not been identified, will not be prosecuted in Zeno's death, stating the force they used was reasonable and not excessive, Crutchfield said.

Zeno suffered the injuries about 9 a.m. Feb. 19 in the 5500 block of Harmon Street.

Crutchfield said the night before, a woman saw Zeno trying to break into a shed in her backyard but he was scared off by another neighbor.

But he returned Feb. 19 and broke into the shed again, using a baby stroller he found inside to load up a paint sprayer and electrical cord, police said.

The woman told her husband, who tried to detain Zeno in the backyard. Zeno escaped and made it to the street in front of the house, where the man was assisted by two neighbors. In the ensuing struggle Zeno fell to the ground on his stomach and the three men held him down until police arrived. He lost consciousness before police arrived, Crutchfield said.

Crutchfield said the three men all said they never hit Zeno in the head, which was confirmed by other witnesses.

Zeno was taken to Highland Hospital, where he died at 5:15 p.m. Feb. 20.