Defendant Sentenced for Murder, Attempted Murders

DATE: August 24, 2018

CASE: Dashawn Tinsley & RV Watson Jr.  (Case #16FE016082)

PROSECUTOR: Deputy District Attorney Satnam Rattu, Gangs & Hate Crimes Unit

The Honorable Curtis Fiorini sentenced Dashawn Tinsley to 141 years to life in prison.  On June 5, 2018, Dashawn Tinsley and RV Watson Jr. were convicted by a jury for the first-degree murder of Andrew VanHunnik and three counts of premeditated attempted murder.  The jury also found true that both defendants fired firearms causing great bodily injury or death to three separate victims.

On December 24, 2015, one victim drove to his mother’s Citrus Heights home.  As he exited his car, he was shot three times and suffered a broken left arm from one of the bullets.  On December 28, 2015, law enforcement responded to a shooting in Citrus Heights and found a car riddled with bullets.  Inside the car was Mr. VanHunnik, who was deceased from multiple gun shots.  Two other victims who were also in the car survived.  One victim escaped the car after being shot five times, and the second victim escaped without being shot. Detectives from the Citrus Heights Police Department were able to locate witnesses and physical evidence which established both Tinsley and Watson as the shooters in the murder and the earlier attempted murder.

Watson faces a maximum sentence of 192 years to life in prison.  His sentencing is set for September 28, 2018, at 9:00 a.m. in Department 26 before the Honorable Curtis Fiorini.

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