What’s spread on a spreadsheet

A highway race preceded a fatal crash that killed a 30-year-old man in West Sacramento on Wednesday night, according to the California Highway Patrol.

Tighe Mullins of Rodeo was at the wheel of an Infiniti that was racing a white sedan westbound on Highway 50, “traveling in and out of traffic” at speeds “well in excess” of 65 mph, a CHP news release reported.

As the vehicles approached the Harbor Boulevard exit, Mullins made an unsafe lane change and struck the rear of a big-rig “and became temporarily lodged under the trailer,” the news release said.

Mullins died at the scene of the 7 p.m. collision. The other driver left the scene and has not been identified, CHP officials said.

Man allegedly violent in hospital

A man used a pen in a stabbing attempt Wednesday night inside Woodland Memorial Hospital, Woodland police reported.

Lance Hale Jr., 36, of West Sacramento, had been waiting in the hospital emergency room for several hours before the alleged assault, which was reported to police at about 10 p.m. The victim was in the waiting room.

Arriving officers arrested Hale on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon and booked him into the Yolo County Jail.

By Lauren Keene Enterprise staff writer

WOODLAND — Trialsetting proceedings for a man accused of killing his girlfriend’s toddler were delayed once again Monday after the defendant’s attorney expressed a doubt with his client’s mental competency.

Yolo Superior Court Judge Peter Williams ordered evaluation proceedings for Derrick Dimone Woods to determine whether he understands the nature of the court process and can assist his attorney in preparing his defense.

A further review is scheduled for July 18.

Woods, 44, was arrested in February 2021, a day after he allegedly beat 16-month-old Amanda Owens and her 3-year-old brother Elijah Washington in a West Sacramento motel room. Amanda died of her injuries.

The children’s mother, who had been away from the motel to borrow money from a friend to pay the rent, returned to discover the brutalized siblings. Woods, meanwhile, fled the scene with the aid of his mother Annette Womack.

According to previous court testimony in the case, Womack drove to Silvey’s Motel on West Capitol Avenue on the morning of Feb. 15, 2021, after receiving a phone call from Woods.

A cousin who accompanied Womack to the scene told police they went inside the motel room to find Amanda “cold to the touch” while her brother Elijah was “tore up.” The cousin said she implored Woods and Womack to call 911, but her pleas were ignored.

Instead, the women parked their car nearby and waited for Woods’ departure.

“I took it too far,” Woods told investigators after his arrest the following day, according to court testimony. He said he started to discipline Elijah that morning for misbehaving and got carried away, turning his anger onto the toddler girl as well.

Womack, who according to prosecutor lied to police about her son’s whereabouts after helping him flee the crime scene, later pleaded no contest to being an accessory to a felony.

Williams sentenced her to three years in Yolo County Jail, of which she was expected to serve about a year due to time already served prior to her plea. She remained in custody as of Wednesday with an anticipated June 19 release date.

“There is a baby who is either dead or dying. There is a boy who’s been brutally beaten, and she does nothing to call 911,” Williams said. “To me, I feel like that lacks the kind of humanity I would hope that most of us would find in a similar situation.”

— Reach Lauren Keene at lkeene@davisenterprise. net. Follow her on Twitter at @laurenkeene

Sheriff’s deputies investigate shooting report out of Dunnigan

By Lauren Keene Enterprise staff writer

Yolo County sheriff’s deputies searched several hours for a gunman Thursday night after someone reported a shooting in the rural town of Dunnigan.

Lt. Juan Ceja said the Sheriff’s Office received a call shortly before 8 p.m. of shots being fired at two people in the 500 block of County Road 99W. No injuries were reported.

“The suspect was identified as the exboyfriend of the caller,” Ceja said. The man was still near the scene and fled on foot when deputies arrived.

During a search for the man, officers canvassed the area and found no signs of bullet impacts or spent shell casings. “They talked to some witnesses in the area, and no one reported hearing any gunfire,” Ceja said.

Deputies were unable to find the man, and they cleared the scene at about 11:30 p.m. During a second attempt to track him down Friday morning, he fled again when officers tried to contact him.

“We don’t know exactly what happened, but we know he was there,” Ceja said. The investigation is continuing.

By Lauren Keene Enterprise staff writer

The California Highway Patrol is investigating a collision that killed four farmworkers and injured seven others Thursday afternoon.

Officer Armando Ocampo said the crash occurred shortly before 3 p.m. on County Road 14 between Interstates 505 and 5, west of the town of Zamora.

A Ford van, carrying the 11 farmworkers home to Yuba City, left the roadway and struck a tree, Ocampo said. No other vehicles were involved.

“It’s unknown why the driver drifted off the roadway,” Ocampo said. Three people were declared dead at the scene, and a fourth passed away at the UC Davis Medical Center. The seven others were transported to area hospitals with varying injuries.

Yolo County coroner’s officials identified the three who died at the scene as Yuba City residents Ruth Hernandez Lopez, 20; Antonio Yanez, 25; and Noelia Esperanza Cuevas, 51. The fourth victim’s identity had not been released as of Friday afternoon.

Ocampo said the driver was one of the four who perished in the crash, and an investigation is underway to determine whether alcohol or drugs were a factor.