A 31-year-old man was found guilty of the shooting, causing the car to crash into the river, and then climbing out and making no efforts to save her or the four children, aged 2 to 6, still inside the car.

A man will face prison after the shooting death of his girlfriend in a harrowing incident that could have ended with even more tragedy were it not for the presence of two good samaritans who did what the man would not.

Mandiko Kwadzo, 31, was convicted on July 24 of first-degree murder, using a firearm in the commission of a felony, and being a felon in possession of a firearm. The conviction stems from an incident that started inside a West Sacramento residence in California, and ended in the Sacramento River on July 27, 2020.

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According to the case report filed by the Sacramento County District Attorney's Office, West Sacramento police were responding to reports of shots fired inside a residence in the community when a witness reported seeing the victim, 23-year-old Carliena Clayton, having an argument with Kwadzo on the driveway of the same home.

They then saw Clayton get into the car with her four small children. According to the witness, Kwadzo got into the passenger seat as she was backing out of the driveway. By the time police arrived, there was no on at the house, but they did find evidence of a shooting, per the DA's office.

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Shooting & Rescue

The story picked back up later that night when another individual reported hearing a gunshot followed by the sound of a car crashing into the Sacramento River. That man called 911, and then went with a friend and fellow fisherman to to the site of the crash to see how they could help.

One of those good samaritans was identified as Harrell Fischer by local news station KCRA . He told the outlet that he and his friend rushed down to the river and were able to rescue the children from the car, putting them in the boat.

"I saw a little face look up at me and I about melted. It was intense. I was like, 'Oh my gosh.' And then I saw two little hands poke out, too, like, 'Help me,'" he recalled of the rescue.

Fischer said that when he tried to remove Clayton from the car, he found that she had no pulse. She was not removed until authorities arrived. According to the DA's statement, "Kwadzo was standing nearby the car, not doing anything to help."

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They initially believed it was an accident, until the oldest of the children told Fischer, "He shot my mom." Fischer said the boy added, "You don't come back from a shot like that." Kwadzo is father to three of the four children, per KOVR .

First responders found Clayton covered in blood with evidence of having been shot. There was no pulse and she was pronounced dead at the scene, per the outlet. Kwadzo was taken into custody at that time.

According to the good samaritans, Kwadzo had gotten out of the car on his own and simply stood by, making no efforts to rescue the children or his shooting victim, nor did he help them.

Forensics verified that the woman suffered two gunshot wounds to the head, according to the DA's report. No gun was ever recovered. Neither Kwadzo nor the children were injured in the crash.

"I thank God for keeping those kids safe," Fischer told KCRA. "I thank God for keeping me and John safe. And I pray for that dude, too, who did all this. I pray for him, too."

Kwadzo's sentencing is set for September 6, 2024. He faces up to a maximum of 53 years to life in prison.

If you are experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or go to thehotline.org. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages; Calls are confidential and toll-free.