A chilling freeway shooting occurred on June 15, 2023, on the northbound Interstate 5, just south of Louise Avenue in Lathrop, resulting in a tragic fatality.
The victim, 37-year-old Shodiev Ilkhom, a commercial truck driver and father of two from Charlotte, North Carolina, lost control of his truck and trailer after suffering a gunshot wound. The out-of-control truck veered off the freeway, colliding with two parked vehicles and a building in Lathrop. Ilkhom was rushed to the San Joaquin County Hospital but later succumbed to his injuries.
California Highway Patrol (CHP) officers from Stockton responded to the chaotic scene, bringing in the CHP Valley Division Investigative Services Unit to spearhead the investigation. Over the ensuing week, investigators utilized various resources, including surveillance footage, witness testimonies, and public assistance, which led to the identification of a suspect vehicle and ultimately, a suspect.
On the morning of June 24, CHP SWAT teams, in coordination with the San Joaquin County District Attorney's Office, the Tracy Police Department, the Manteca Police Department, the San Joaquin County Sheriff's Department, and the Stockton Police Department, executed a search warrant in Manteca.
The operation culminated in the arrest of 29-year-old Manteca resident, Andrew Christopher Watson. He was apprehended without incident and subsequently booked into the San Joaquin County Jail on homicide-related charges.
