Man convicted for killing south Sacramento mother of his infant son, faces life in prison
A Sacramento County jury has convicted a man accused of killing the mother of his infant son after an extensive history of domestic violence toward the victim, prosecutors said.
On Monday, they found Damion Horton guilty of first-degree murder for shooting Dajha Richards in January 2019, the Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office announced in a news release. Horton also was found guilty of firing a gun causing death and being a felon in possession of a gun.
The gun used in the shooting was never found. Prosecutors said investigators learned Horton had an extensive history of domestic violence against Richards.
On Tuesday, Horton, 23, of Sacramento, remained in custody at the Sacramento County Main Jail. Horton is will be sentenced Jan. 14. Prosecutors said Horton faces 75 years to life in prison.
On Jan. 8, 2019, Richards was at her home on Orchard Wood Circle in south Sacramento with her 4-month-old son and 12-year-old brother. Her family said the young woman was getting ready and had called her mom, who was on her way to pick them up, when Horton showed up unannounced.
Sacramento County sheriff’s deputies were called to the home and found Richards, 19, shot in the chest. She told deputies that Horton, her boyfriend, had shot her, prosecutors said.
Richards’ family said her little brother carried her to the living room, called 911 and kept talking to her, trying to keep her awake. He held the baby in front of her so she could see him. She was taken by ambulance to a hospital where she later died.
The Sheriff’s Office launched an hours-long manhunt with SWAT teams and K-9 police, but Horton wasn’t arrested until he turned himself in a day after Richards’ death.
