STOCKTON, Calif — A man was sentenced in San Joaquin County Superior Court on Monday to forty years to life in prison for killing a 50-year-old man in 2019.
Darwin Derosans went to hang out at the Captain's Anchor Bar on Thornton Road in North Stockton, not far from his home when he encountered 36-year-old Robert Gonzalez. Gonzalez followed Derosans to the parking lot when he pulled out a gun and shot him.
Gonzalez was arrested and convicted after fleeing to Mexico.
Darwin Derosans called his brother, Nysaya Garcia, for a ride home an hour before he was shot and killed.
"Hopefully he sits for a long time," Garcia said. It was good to just hear justice was actually served because there were a lot of days where we didn't think they were going to catch this guy."
Darwin Derosans, Sr., Darwin Derosan's father, sat through nearly half of the three-week trial listening to the painful details and sitting just a short distance away from the man convicted of killing his son, affectionately known as "Pookie."
"I looked his way a little bit, but he would never turn. He would never turn and say nothing," said Darwin Derosans, Sr.
Darwin Derosans, Sr. still has one question.
"Only thing I still don't understand still and probably won't get no answer is why," Darwin Derosans, Sr., said. "What was your reason behind this?"
Darwin Derosan's family described him as a giving person who would hold barbeques for his neighbors or open his doors for kids to give them whatever they needed.
Leora Luckett still has not opened the five presents her son Darwin dropped off to her a day before his death.
"I tell myself I'm going to open those presents, but when I open those presents I know I won't get no more presents from him," said Luckett.
Luckett said she was too distraught to attend the court proceedings. She remains isolated from friends as she still tries to cope with her loss.
"I want you all to know that I love you, but I just need this time just to be to myself so I could get a grip on myself, but I do love you guys," Luckett said.
