Man shot woman before vehicle crashed into Sacramento River, sheriff’s officials say
Homicide detectives have arrested a man accused of shooting the mother of his children Monday night as she drove a vehicle before it crashed into the Sacramento River near Elk Grove, sheriff’s officials said.
Mandiko Kwadzo of West Sacramento was arrested on suspicion of murder and was being held without bail Tuesday afternoon at Sacramento County Main Jail. He was scheduled to make his first court appearance on the homicide charge Thursday afternoon.
The crash was reported shortly after 9:30 p.m. on Monday, according to a news release from the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office. The vehicle was spotted leaving the road and subsequently partially submerged in the river along the 8700 block of River Road.
A passerby found the vehicle in the river and helped four young children and a man get out of the submerged vehicle, sheriff’s officials said. A woman was still inside the vehicle in the driver’s seat, when firefighters and California Highway Patrol officers arrived.
While providing medical aid to the woman, the firefighters discovered she suffered a gunshot wound to the upper body, according to the Sheriff’s Office. She was pronounced dead at the scene. No other injuries were reported.
The victim was identified as Carliena Kc Clayton by Sacramento County Coroner’s Office on Friday.
Officers detained the man who was helped out of the submerged vehicle. He was later identified as Kwadzo. Sheriff’s homicide detectives were called to the scene and began their investigation.
Sheriff’s officials said the detectives determined Kwadzo, 27, and the woman were in a “domestic relationship and had children in common.” The detectives believe Kwadzo shot the woman while she was driving, causing the vehicle to veer into the river.
This story was originally published July 28, 2020 at 4:40 PM.
