SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A jury has convicted Adrian Castillo of the first-degree murder of Kenyatta Dawson and attempted murder in a shooting that took place in November 2019.
The Sacramento County District Attorney's Office announced the conviction of Castillo on Monday.
The crime happened back on Nov. 8, 2019. Police were originally called out on reports of a car crash and shots fired around 11 p.m. at San Juan Road and Truxel Road. When officers arrived they found two wrecked vehicles and two shooting victims. One of those victims was Kenyatta Dawson who later died.
The District Attorney's Office said in a press release the shooting happened after Castillo and his teen friend arranged to sell a ghost Glock to a gun buyer.
"The parties met in the Natomas Marketplace parking lot and exchanged the gun for an envelope," the District Attorney's Office said. "When Castillo realized the buyer had shorted him, he directed his juvenile driver to follow the buyer’s car."
Moments later the shooting took place. Officials said Castillo opened fire with a .45 caliber Glock that was illegally altered to be fully automatic.
"Mr. Dawson was killed instantly and the victims’ car sped out of control until it hit another vehicle," the District Attorney's Office said.
The release goes on to say that with the vehicle that Dawson was driving, the vehicle that Castillo was in pulled up and "he fired six more rounds into the victims’ car using a second gun."
Officials said the gun buyer was shot through the jaw, breaking both jawbones, and shot through both legs.
Officials said Castillo was just one of the suspects arrested following the incident. A second suspect was only identified as a 17-year-old male juvenile at the time.
Castillo faces a maximum sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole. Sentencing is set for Dec. 28.
