A man was convicted of first-degree murder this week for killing a young mother and leaving her four children in danger in the Sacramento River, according to prosecutors in Sacramento. Mandiko Kwadzo, 30, was found guilty of killing Carliena Clayton after a dispute in 2020.
Police officers in West Sacramento responded to reports of shots fired at a residence. The victim, her children, and Mr. Kwadzo had already left in a car before the police arrived. Evidence of a shooting was discovered inside the home.
That same night, a witness heard a gunshot near Cliff’s Marina in Sacramento County, followed by a car crashing into the water. The witness and a friend went to the scene and found the victim’s car partially submerged in water, with her four children trapped inside. The youngest child, a 2-year-old, was stuck in a car seat.
The witnesses managed to rescue the children from the car. California Highway Patrol officers who arrived at the scene found Ms. Clayton unresponsive with severe head injuries and no pulse.
Initially believed to be a car accident, Ms. Clayton’s death was later determined to be the result of two gunshot wounds to her head. The oldest child, a 6-year-old, told officers that Mr. Kwadzo had shot his mother.
Mr. Kwadzo was arrested and booked into Sacramento County jail without bail. He was also convicted of using a firearm during the murder and being a felon in possession of a firearm. He is scheduled for sentencing on September 6 and faces 53 years to life in prison.
