OAKLAND — The suspect within the killing of a well-liked youth mentor was allowed to plead not responsible by purpose of madness, then sentenced to life in a psychological well being hospital, courtroom information present.
Daniel Stith, 40, is now serving a life sentence in a California psychological establishment, with the caveat that he may very well be launched if he’s deemed cured of his psychological sickness and a decide approves the transfer. Pursuant to a decide’s order, Stith was discovered responsible of homicide, then not responsible by purpose of madness, then sentenced final January, courtroom information present.
The homicide of youth mentor Reuben Lewis III, a Harmony resident, occurred on Feb. 24, 2021, at a soccer occasion in Oakland’s Concordia Park, in entrance of a whole lot of witnesses. Lewis was a former AAU basketball league coach and youth mentor whose killing was adopted by an enormous outpouring of grief from the neighborhood, together with public calls to curb gun violence and a vigil attended by each the mayor and police chief.
Afterwards, Stith allegedly drove to Greenly Drive, stripped bare, knocked on a random girl’s door, and repeated, “I killed someone, call the police,” earlier than operating off together with his garments and an envelope containing $900 behind.
Stith later turned himself into the San Leandro police division, this time with $20,000 in money, in response to police and witness testimony. Quickly after these information got here to gentle, his lawyer brazenly doubted Stith was mentally competent for trial, sparking a prolonged course of the place he was reviewed by a number of psychiatrists, courtroom information present.
There was no obvious motive. Eyewitnesses to the homicide acknowledged Stith as a former youth soccer coach and native rapper, who used the stage identify Danny from Sobrante.
In August 2021, he was charged with a felony for allegedly punching Alameda County Sheriff’s Deputy Troy Olson contained in the Santa Rita Jail. The possible trigger assertion alleges Stith punched the deputy with out provocation or warning on April 25, 2021, loosening three enamel within the deputy’s jawline.
After Stith was sentenced in January, there was a slight hiccup — state officers stated there wasn’t sufficient room within the Napa State Hospital. Ultimately, the state discovered a mattress for him in a hospital in Atascadero, courtroom information present.
