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Tag: Andrew Vanhunnik

  • Jury finds pair guilty of murdering 19-year-old in Citrus Heights

    Jury finds pair guilty of murdering 19-year-old in Citrus Heights

    RV Watson, Dashawn Tinsley
    Dashawn Tinsley, left, and RV Watson, right, were found guilty of the 2015 murder of 19-year-old Andrew VanHunnik in Citrus Heights. // Image credit: CHPD

    Sentinel staff report–
    Two men are now each facing over 100 years in prison after being found guilty of shooting a 19-year-old man to death in Citrus Heights in 2015, the Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office announced Wednesday morning.

    Dashawn Kwama Tinsley, 24, and RV Allahali Watson, 28, were both convicted by a jury on Tuesday for the first-degree murder of Andrew VanHunnik, who was found shot to death in a car on Dec. 28, 2015, at the Creekside Colony apartments on Kingswood Drive, near Sunrise Boulevard. The pair were also found guilty of three counts of premeditated attempted murder and jurors additionally found the two “fired firearms causing great bodily injury or death to three separate victims,” the DA’s office said in a news release.

    Prior story: Citrus Heights police announce arrests in two shootings from 2015

    Two others were in the car with VanHunnik, one of whom escaped after being shot five times. Despite the car being found “riddled with bullets,” authorities said the other occupant escaped without being shot.

    The jury also found that Tinsley and Watson were the shooters in an attempted murder four days prior to VanHunnik’s shooting. In that incident, a 26-year-old man was shot on Christmas Eve as he exited his car outside his mother’s house on Donegal Drive in Citrus Heights. The DA’s office said he was shot three times, leaving him with a broken arm.

    The pair were arrested in 2016, following a lengthy investigation where Citrus Heights Police Department detectives were able to locate witnesses and evidence that established Tinsley and Watson as the shooters in both incidents, the news release stated. Police previously said the investigation spanned an eight month period involving several hundred hours of interviews and more than 50 search warrants.

    Although not included in Wednesday’s news release, a third man, 22-year-old Dennis Gibson, was also arrested in connection with the Christmas Eve shooting. According to court records, he was sentenced to eight months in prison on June 1, after pleading no-contest to a felony charge that he played an accessory role after the shooting.

    Watson faces a maximum sentence of 192 years to life in prison and Tinsley faces up to 141 years to life in prison. A June 29 hearing will determine sentencing for the pair.

    The case was prosecuted by Sacramento County Deputy District Attorney Satnam Rattu, with the Gangs and Hate Crimes Unit. DA Spokeswoman Shelly Orio said although the jury heard evidence that the offenses were gang related, no gang allegations were filed in the case.

  • Citrus Heights police announce arrests in two shootings from 2015

    RV Watson, Dashawn Tinsley, Dennis Gibson, arrests
    Police announced the arrest this week of 20-year-old Dennis Gibson, left, 26-year-old RV Watson, center, and 22-year-old Dashawn Tinsley, for their alleged role in two December 2015 shootings in Citrus Heights. Image courtesy, CHPD

    Updated Sept. 7, 3:54 p.m.–
    Following an extensive eight-month investigation, the Citrus Heights Police Department on Tuesday announced the arrest of three suspects in two December 2015 shootings.

    RV Watson, 26, and Dashawn Tinsley, 22, were arrested for the Dec. 28, 2015 shooting death of 19-year-old Andrew Vanhunnik on the 7900 block of Kingswood Dr. in Citrus Heights. The pair were also charged with the attempted murder of another man who was struck several times by gunfire during the same incident.

    Police said the investigation also found the pair were involved in a separate shooting incident that occurred in the Greenback Estates area four days prior, on Christmas Eve. In that shooting, police said Tinsley and Watson, along with Dennis Gibson, 20, are charged with attempted murder of a 26-year-old who was struck multiple times by gunfire, but survived.

    As previously reported on The Sentinel, the Christmas Eve shooting occurred around 6:15 p.m. on Donegal Drive, where police said a man was shot while visiting relatives. A dark vehicle believed to have been involved fled the scene, but no other details were released.

    The Kingswood Drive shooting involved reports of shots fired around 2 a.m. at the Creekside Colony apartments, near Sunrise Boulevard. Responding officers found Vanhunnik dead in a vehicle, and another man injured from gunshot wounds.

    A motive for the shootings was not included in the news release and police Det. Wesley Herman told The Sentinel he was “unable to comment on motive due to the type of case this is and the fact that the trial will be forthcoming.”

    >>See the latest Citrus Heights Police Logs

    Police said the investigation involved “hundreds of hours of interviews” and the serving of over 50 search warrants. Multiple agencies in several jurisdictions were also involved.

    Police credited the help of community members in leading to the arrests, stating that the department had “received multiple leads and sources of information throughout these investigations.”

    Related: Body ID’d in latest Citrus Heights shooting; 6th homicide of 2015

    From 2015: 2 shot, 1 killed in Citrus Heights shooting

    According to inmate records from the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department, Dashawn Kwama Tinsley is ineligible for bail and is charged with four felony counts of murder and attempted murder. Records also show he had an outstanding warrant for felony robbery charges.

    RV Allahali Watson is also ineligible for bail and is charged with four felony counts of murder and attempted murder. Court records indicate the 26-year-old was a convicted felon, with a criminal history dating back to 2011. When arrested, he had several outstanding warrants for charges of felony burglary, resisting a peace officer, and possessing a firearm as a felon.

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    Dennis Calieo Gibson is also ineligible for bail and is charged with a felony count of attempted murder. He also faces felony robbery charges in a separate case listed in court records.

    According to the Sacramento County Superior Court website, the trio are scheduled to appear for a Sept. 28 settlement conference at the Lorenzo Patiño Hall of Justice in downtown Sacramento.

    *Note: a prior version of this story incorrectly stated that Gibson had been released on bail on Aug. 30. CHPD confirmed with The Sentinel on Wednesday that Gibson is ineligible for bail and was not released.

  • Body ID’d in latest Citrus Heights shooting; 6th homicide of 2015

    Body ID’d in latest Citrus Heights shooting; 6th homicide of 2015

    police lights, do not cross tape, crime scene. Citrus Heights Sentinel
    Police lights, stock photo. // Citrus Heights Sentinel

    Updated Jan. 9, 11:55 p.m. —
    The Sacramento County Coroner’s office has identified 19-year-old Andrew Vanhunnik of Citrus Heights as the man who was shot to death in the parking lot of a Kingswood Drive apartment complex on Dec. 28, 2015.

    Lt. David Gutierrez said Vanhunnik’s death brought the 2015 total up to six homicides in the city, compared to three in 2014. He said overall crime statistics in the city are down compared to 2014, with police set to release additional annual crime data this week.

    In the most recent homicide on Dec. 28, Sgt. Jason Baldwin told The Sentinel there was no update as of Wednesday this week, although he confirmed that a Citrus Heights police operation in Roseville on Dec. 30 was related to the homicide investigation. He said that operation resulted in two individuals being detained, but for reasons unrelated to the homicide.

    [Related: 2015 stats show 19% drop in Citrus Heights DUI crashes, but fatalities rise ]

    2015 began with a peaceful January and February in Citrus Heights, but saw three separate homicides in March — along with three arrests.

    A March 6 shooting on the 6500 block of Greenback Lane led police to arrest Luther Devon Frazier, then 34, who was charged with the murder of 22-year-old Shaun Blechinger. According to court records, Frazier was arraigned on Mar. 10, 2015, and a trial has been scheduled for Jan. 27, 2016.

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    The March 16 death of Kimberly Chittenden on the 7900 block of Rocky Point Court, near Kingswood Drive and Sunrise Boulevard, led police to arrest 48-year-old Allen Bocteemus Franks the following day. According to court records, Franks was charged with murder in the case and was arraigned on March 19, 2015, with a trial date scheduled for March 14, 2016.

    The third homicide in March led to the arrest of William Patrick Hendrickson, who was charged with murder for the March 26 death of his 32-year-old girlfriend, Sarah Priess, on the 7500 block of Cook Avenue, near Auburn Boulevard. Police said Hendrickson was arrested after turning himself in the same day.

    A Sacramento Bee story later detailed Priess’ life and “chaotic” relationship with Hendrickson, with the couple having a history of domestic violence. According to court records, Hendrickson was arraigned on Mar. 30, 2015 and a settlement conference has been scheduled for Jan. 22, 2016.

    Police said the suspects and victims were known by each other in all three March homicide incidents, and no outstanding suspects are wanted in any of the cases.

    [Related: Police make arrest in 3rd Citrus Heights homicide in March] In the May 30 death of 42-year-old John Rohrer, police arrested Susan Rohrer, 38, who was charged with involuntary manslaughter. Police said in a May news release that officers had responded to a single gunshot reportedly coming from inside a residence on the 6000 block of Cheshire Way, near the Sunrise Marketplace at Birdcage, and found the man unresponsive, "with a gunshot wound to his upper body.” Police released limited details, but said everyone at the residence was cooperative with officers. According to court records, Susan plead no contest and was sentenced on Nov. 13, 2015, with a 180-day custody period and five years parole. The fifth homicide of the year involved officers responding to a June 22 domestic violence call at apartments on the 7500 block of Greenback Lane. 35-year-old Eduardo Reyes was shot and killed after police said he fired a gun at officers, and police returned fire. The four officers who fired their weapons in the incident were placed on standard administrative leave. The Sentinel submitted a request on Wednesday for details on the outcome of the June 22 police investigation. Police said a response would be provided this week, along with annual crime data comparing 2015 and 2014 in Citrus Heights. Update: For more crime statistics, see story "Citrus Heights Police: crime reduced by 5% in 2015"] [Don't miss local news: Click here to sign up for The Sentinel's free weekend edition]