Fairfield man enters no plea in stabbing
A 26-year-old Fairfield man accused of a fatal knifing earlier this week in Fairfield appeared Wednesday in Solano County Superior Court for jail arraignment but did not enter a plea, and the judge ordered him to return next week for additional proceedings.
Nearly 6 feet tall but railthin, Deion Jeremiah Lloyd Diamond, shackled and clad in a striped jail jumpsuit, sat at the defense table with Chief Deputy Public Defender Tamani Taylor, who represented him during a brief afternoon hearing in Department 11.
It was unclear if Taylor will continue to represent him or if Diamond will be assigned a court-appointed lawyer or another public defender. Judge William J. Pendergast ordered Diamond to return at 8:30 a.m. May 27 for further arraignment in the Justice Center in Fairfield.
According to court documents, Diamond is alleged to have used a knife to kill Charles David Parsons, 56, Monday afternoon on West Texas Street.
Fairfield police investigators say an altercation among three men who knew each other, Diamond, Parsons and Ronnie Kaufman, ended with Parsons' death from a knife wound and the arrest of Diamond and Kaufman, 43 and also a resident of Fairfield.
Kaufman has not been charged in the Diamond case, Chief Deputy District Attorney Paul Sequeira, who represented the DA's Office during the proceeding, confirmed late Wednesday afternoon.
NorthBay Medical Center staff reported that a stabbing victim, later identified as Parsons, had been dropped off at the facility at 1 p.m. Monday. He later died of his injury.
Around the same time, police responded to a report of a disturbance in front of businesses in the 1300 block of West Texas Street. Both incidents, police said, were connected.
An investigation revealed that Parsons and Kaufman had driven together to meet with Diamond.
As they pulled up, an altercation ensued and the three engaged in a physical fight, police said.
Kaufman reportedly took something from Diamond's vehicle. As he and Parsons attempted to leave, Parsons was stabbed. The knife was found nearby, police investigators said.
Kaufman is believed to have driven his friend to NorthBay before taking off. Diamond also fled the scene.
Diamond was arrested around 9 p.m. Monday in the 1300 block of West Texas Street. He was booked into Solano County Jail on suspicion of murder and is still being held without bail.
Kaufman was arrested just after 12:30 a.m. Tuesday near NorthBay and was booked into jail on suspicion of robbery, vandalism of $10,000 or more, and failure to appear, all felonies.
The disposition of the charges against Kaufman are unclear, as his next court date has not been assigned, jail records indicated late Wednesday afternoon.
The matter remains under investigation.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Fairfield Police Department's Investigations Division at 4287600.