Others were targeted before Modesto man was killed in FoodMaxx parking lot, police say
The men accused of trying to rob and carjack a man before fatally shooting him in the FoodMaxx parking lot had sought out other victims earlier in the morning, according to Modesto police.
Donald Patterson, 57, a regular customer at the grocery store on West Briggsmore Avenue, was near his pickup at 5:45 a.m. on April 9, waiting for the store to open, when he was approached by Sailiuta Matau, 32, and Kahlil Thorne, 19, said Modesto Police Department spokeswoman Sharon Bear.
Before Patterson was shot, the men allegedly tried to carjack and rob two other victims. The details of those incidents were not released, but Bear said detectives are investigating whether there were any other victims between 1 and 6 a.m. in the area of Prescott Road and Mount Vernon Drive.
Matau, who was arrested in San Francisco last week, was charged Monday with first-degree murder, along with the special circumstances of murder committed during the commission of an attempted carjacking, murder committed during the commission of an attempted robbery, and murder to further the activities of a criminal street gang.
He also faces enhancements alleging that the murder was committed for the benefit of the Norteño street gang, that he is a principal in the murder, and that at least one of the principals in the crime discharged a firearm.
He was also charged with attempting to carjack and rob Patterson, as well as the two other victims.
Thorne, who was arrested the day after the shooting, as of Monday had only been charged with murder, attempted robbery and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Asked why he was not also charged with any of the three counts of attempted carjacking or the other attempted robbery charges, District Attorney’s Office spokesman John Goold said in an email, “Each (was) charged according to the
The case has been assigned to Judge Robert Westbrook. A video arraignment will take place on April 22 at 1:30 p.m. in Department 12.
This story was originally published April 20, 2020 at 5:17 PM.
