Man sentenced to prison for murder of 3-year-old boy beaten in Sacramento
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Judge sentenced LaShawn Sparks to 85 years to life for toddler’s 2023 killing.
- Jury convicted Sparks of second-degree murder and fatal child assault charges.
- California’s Three Strikes law influenced sentencing due to prior felony convictions.
A judge sentenced a man to 85 years to life in prison for the death of a 3-year-old boy severely beaten while the child’s mother waited for her son to return to their Sacramento motel room.
A jury on April 8 found LaShawn Wilfread Sparks, 33, guilty of second-degree murder in the death of Jetakhia Conway. Sparks was also convicted of assault resulting in the death of a child younger than 8.
Judge Maryanne Gilliard sentenced Sparks on Friday, the Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office announced Monday in a news release. Prosecutors said Sparks had two previous convictions for first-degree burglary and robbery, which were both considered strikes under California’s “Three Strikes” law.
Jetakhia’s family had been staying at a Motel 6 in the 1400 block of 30th Street, just east of the Capital City Freeway in East Sacramento. On Feb. 6, 2023, Sparks told the boy’s mother that he was taking the toddler to buy snacks from a nearby convenience store and would be back shortly.
Prosecutors said motel security camera video showed Jetakhia walk out of the motel room and get into a car with Sparks. The mother later told investigators her son had no visible injuries and was fine when the toddler left the motel room with Sparks.
During the two hours they were gone, prosecutors said Sparks beat the child.
Motel security camera video showed Sparks returned carrying the boy, who was slumped over his shoulder, according to the District Attorney’s Office.
The following morning, Sparks woke up the the child’s mother to tell her Jetakhia was not breathing. They called 911 for help. Prosecutors said the boy was taken to a hospital where he was pronounced dead upon arrival.
Sacramento County Coroner’s officials responded and deemed the death suspicious, according to the Sacramento Police Department.
Prosecutors said investigators found the child’s blood inside the car and on the motel room bed. An autopsy determined Jetakhia’s cause of death was blunt force injuries to the head and neck.
Police said homicide detectives identified Sparks as the suspect in the child’s death and obtained an arrest warrant for him. Sparks was arrested and booked Feb. 10, 2023, at the Sacramento County Jail.
Sparks remained in custody Monday afternoon at the jail as he awaited a transfer to a prison to serve his sentence.
