Man accused of shooting, killing Amazon big rig driver along I-5 in Lathrop arrested in Manteca
MANTECA - Authorities have made an arrest in the shooting death and crash of an Amazon big rig driver along I-5 in Lathrop earlier this month.
On Saturday, search warrants were served on the suspect in Manteca. There, authorities arrested 29-year-old Manteca resident Andrew Christopher Watson on suspicion of homicide, according to the CHP. Watson was then booked into the San Joaquin County Jail on the charge of murder. His bail has not been set. He is scheduled to appear in court on June 27.
On June 15 at around 12:46 p.m., Ilkhom Shodiev, 37, from North Carolina was driving northbound on Interstate 5 near Lathrop in an Amazon big rig when, for unknown reasons, was shot. The shooting sent the big rig off the freeway and into parked cars at a nearby business before crashing into a building.
Shodiev was transported to a local hospital with a gunshot wound and later died.
After the incident, CHP officers at the Stockton office responded to scene and called out CHP Valley Division investigative services unit to investigate the incident. Over the course of the next week, investigators spoke with witnesses, gathered surveillance camera footage, and received additional help from the public to identify the vehicle and Watson.
On Saturday morning, CHP SWAT officers in Manteca served a search warrant and took Watson into custody. Watson is no stranger to the law. Going back to 2013, he has been convicted of a felony, six misdemeanor charges, and four traffic charges.
The San Joaquin County District Attorney's Office, Tracy, Manteca, and Stockton police departments, and the San Joaquin County Sheriff's Office are credited with helping locate and arrest Watson.
According to Shadiev's family, he and his wife moved to the United States from Tajikistan four years ago.
"The public was very important," said Stockton CHP Officer Ruben Jones. "Very valuable in helping to locate the suspect."
Officer Jones said there were Caltrans cameras on I-5, but said the tips that came in from the public with dash camera video led to the arrest of Watson.
CHP is still investigating what the motive was, but believe Watson was alone in his car at the time of the shooting.
"You never know what a person is carrying on their person in their vehicle. If this was a road rage incident, I am not saying it was, the suspect pulled out a firearm and there was no way for the truck driver to know that," said Officer Jones.
CBS 13 spoke with Shodiev's close family friend on Saturday who said the family is glad the investigation is progressing, but they are still emotionally recovering from this tragedy. The victim's wife is with family preparing for the funeral of Shodiev.