Manteca man sentenced for fatal shooting of Amazon truck driver on I-5 in Lathrop
A Manteca man will spend decades behind bars after he was convicted of shooting and killing an Amazon semitruck driver on Interstate 5 in 2023. Last month, Andrew Watson was found guilty of murdering 37-year-old Ilkhom Shodiev. Shodiev, who lived in Charlotte, North Carolina, was a father to two young children, who were ages 1 and 3 when he was killed. On June 15, 2023, around 12:45 p.m., Watson merged onto northbound I-5 from Highway 120 and began swerving erratically before pulling up alongside Shodiev's truck and firing multiple shots. Following the shooting, Shodiev's truck left the interstate and crashed into two parked vehicles and a business. No one else was injured.“This was a cold-blooded act that stole a life and endangered our community,” said San Joaquin County District Attorney Ron Freitas in a news release. On Tuesday, Watson was sentenced to 40 years to life in prison, the maximum allowable term, the district attorney's office said. “The maximum sentence of 40 years to life reflects the severity of this crime and our commitment to justice for the victim and his family, who are left in unimaginable grief," Freitas said. Shodiev's family was unable to attend the trial but attended Watson's sentencing on Tuesday. VIDEO BELOW: Loved ones grieve Amazon big rig driver shot, killed in LathropSee more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel
