Gang hitman gets 53 years
BRIDGEPORT — Saying that gang violence, once the purview of late nights in the city, has made it dangerous for citizens to walk city streets during the day, a judge sentenced a gangland hit man to 53 years in prison.
Superior Court Judge Robin Pavia said on Friday the only thing staying her from imposing the maximum term of 60 years on 20-year-old Deonte Tomlinson is his age.
Tomlinson, who stood smirking while the judge spoke, said he had nothing to say.
Tomlinson, a member of the 150 Gang, was found guilty last month of murder and carrying a pistol without a permit for the May 2016 fatal shooting of Kahlil “Kah” Diaz, 18, a leader of the Green Hollow Boyz who had only recently been acquitted of killing a rival gang member.
Diaz was gunned down on a downtown street in the middle of the afternoon.
Senior Assistant State’s Attorney Colleen Zingaro urged the judge to send a message with her sentence that a crime that threatens the lives of the city’s residents will not be tolerated.
Diaz, a student at Harding High School, was found not guilty Feb. 5, 2016, in connection with the Aug. 10, 2014, fatal shooting of 21-year-old Ryan Hernandez, a member of the 150s on a downtown street. Sources said Tomlinson was at the courthouse when Diaz was acquitted.
Three months later, Diaz was getting into a silver Audi sedan parked on Madison Avenue when police said Tomlinson ran up to the car and shot Diaz three times.
Three police detectives were in the area at the time and ran to the scene to see the shooter — later identified as Tomlinson — run off, according to trial testimony. They pursued the suspect down a nearby driveway, catching Tomlinson less than 50 feet from the murder scene. Along the pursuit route, the detectives recovered the muder weapon and the discarded sweatshirt and knitted hat they said the shooter had been wearing.
DNA recovered from the hat was consistent with Tomlinson’s DNA.
Tomlinson did not testify at his trial.
Diaz’s death added fuel to the fire between the two rival gangs that police said led to numerous retaliatory shootings in the city.
It also raised Diaz’s profile in the Green Hollow Boyz and was used to inspire younger gang members. The gang renamed their turf Kahland in honor of Diaz and swore to Kah rather than God, according to city gang task force members.