Manteca man accused of killing Amazon big rig driver in Lathrop, arrested: CHP
A man was arrested in connection to the shooting death of an Amazon big rig driver that occurred in Lathrop earlier this month.
The death captured national attention and police have scoured for clues to link a suspect to the shooting.
Just before 1 p.m. on June 15, Ilkhom Shodiev, 37, was driving an Amazon semi-truck on I-5 between Highway 120 and East Louise Avenue in Lathrop. He veered off the freeway and slammed into a building, CHP spokesman Ruben Jones said.
Shortly after, CHP dispatchers began getting calls that gunshots had been fired prior to the wreck. Authorities confirmed that the North Carolina man was shot at multiple times while heading down the interstate. He lost control and drove off the highway.
He was rushed to an area hospital, where he died from his injuries. A fundraiser to support Shodiev's wife and two young children was set up on GoFundMe. Nearly $100,000 has been raised to date.
"We're very sorry to hear about his passing and our thoughts are with his family during this difficult time," Alisa Carroll, an Amazon spokesperson, said the day after Shodiev's death. "We're continuing to cooperate with law enforcement as they investigate."
The CHP Valley Division Investigative Services Unit (ISU) took over the deadly case and sought leads from drivers who were in the area at the time of the shooting.
"Over the course of the next week, investigators utilized surveillance cameras, witness statements, and help from the public to identify a suspect's vehicle and subsequent suspect," Jones said.
On Saturday, search warrants were served on Andrew Christopher Watson, 29, of Manteca. Investigators arrested Watson on suspicion of killing the Amazon Prime driver, according to CHP officers. He was booked into the San Joaquin County Jail and is being held without bail.
Watson is scheduled to appear in court 1:30 p.m. Tuesday. If charges haven't been filed by then, jail officials will be forced to release the man.
The motive hasn't been released. It's unclear if the men knew each other.
Officials from the San Joaquin County District Attorney's Office, Manteca, Stockton and Tracy police departments and San Joaquin County Sheriff's Office helped investigate the deadly crime.
Record reporter Hannah Workman covers news in Stockton and San Joaquin County. She can be reached at hworkman@recordnet.com or on Twitter @byhannahworkman. Support local news, subscribe to The Stockton Record at https://www.recordnet.com/subscribenow.
This article originally appeared on The Record: Manteca man killed Amazon big rig driver in Lathrop, arrested: CHP
