BEL AIR—On Friday, May 12, the Los Angeles Police Department announced that three suspects involved in a triple homicide back in January 2023, have been identified. Dejean Thompkins, 28, Dontae Williams, 23 and Daries Stanford, 28 – all residents of Chicago, Illinois – have all been arrested and are awaiting extradition back to Los Angeles to face charges.
On January 28, at around 2:30 a.m., LAPD West Los Angeles officers responded to 911 calls about a shooting in the 2700 block of Ellison Drive. When officers arrived at the scene, they observed three victims – later identified as Iyana Hutton, 33, Nenah Davis, 29, and Destiny Sims, 26 – shot dead inside of a car outside of the residence. Four additional victims were wounded and transported to local hospitals.
According to LAPD Robbery Homicide Division Captain, Johnathan Tippet, Hutton, Davis and Sims were life-long friends and residents of Chicago. The three victims were visiting Los Angeles in support of a Chicago rapper – whose identity was not disclosed – and were returning to their vacation rental after a night of bowling the night the incident occurred. Thompkins, Williams and Stanford – driving a blue four-door Tesla – reportedly approached the residence, and in an ambush-style attack, shot 30 rounds that killed the three victims and shot four additional victims, who all survived and whose identities are being withheld.
Two semi-automatic weapons were believed to have been used in this incident.
The LAPD’s investigation connected Thompkins to another homicide investigation that occurred in North Hollywood, on December 16, 2022. Julian Bynum was shot multiple times on the sidewalk in front of an apartment complex on the 6800 Block of Simpson Avenue. LAPD did not disclose if Stanford and/or Williams were involved in this incident.
In both these cases the suspects used ambush style tactics on their unsuspecting victims, Tippet said.
On April 10, Thompkins was arrested in Chicago. On April 26, Williams reportedly fled and was located in Gary, Indiana, where he was arrested. On May 10, Stanford was arrested in Manhattan, New York.
The victims in the two homicides are not reportedly connected. All suspects and victims – both deceased and surviving – are residents of Chicago. Thompkins, Williams and Stanford are believed to be gang affiliated and reportedly live within miles from the neighborhoods in which the victims lived or are from. No further details were disclosed.
LAPD Homicide detectives are unable to disclose the motive behind both homicides at this time, but believe that Hutton, Davis and Sims were not the intended targets. Bynum is believed to have been the suspects intended target.
The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office, Major Crimes Section, has filed four counts of murder against Thompkins and three counts of murder against both Williams and Stanford. All three suspects are also being charged with six counts of attempted murder and six counts of assault with a semi-automatic firearm.
Additionally, the LA District Attorney’s Office approved filing enhancements against the suspects involved in this case. The investigation remains ongoing.
