California Man Convicted Second-Degree Murder Amazon Truck Driver

Andrew Christopher Watson, a 29-year-old man from Manteca, California, has been convicted of second-degree murder and shooting at an occupied vehicle in connection with the fatal shooting of Ilkhom Shodiev, a 37-year-old Amazon big-rig driver from Charlotte, North Carolina, on June 15, 2023. Watson merged onto northbound Interstate 5 from Highway 120 near Lathrop, swerved erratically, and fired multiple shots into Shodiev's truck, striking him in the head and causing the vehicle to crash into a building. An investigation utilizing surveillance footage, dashcam video, witness accounts, partial license plate reads, as well as cellphone and bank records placed Watson at the scene, with gunshot residue found in his car confirming his guilt. The San Joaquin County District Attorney, Ron Freitas, described the shooting as a "senseless act of violence" that took the life of a hardworking husband and father, leaving his family in profound grief. Watson has remained in custody without bail and is scheduled to be sentenced on September 23. Friends remember Shodiev as a man with big plans for his family, pursuing the American dream as the sole breadwinner.