Carliena Clayton, a 23-year-old mother from Sacramento, California, was shot and killed on July 27, 2020 while driving on River Road with her four children in the car. Witnesses said Carliena and her domestic partner, Mandiko Kwadzo, argued earlier that evening and were seen fighting in their driveway before Carliena drove off with the children. Mandiko reportedly got into the car as a passenger; shortly after, a gunshot was heard near a local marina and the vehicle crashed into the Sacramento River.

Responders found Carliena unresponsive in the driver’s seat with gunshot wounds to the head. Her children, ages two to six, were rescued from the submerged car by a passerby; the oldest child helped unbuckle the younger siblings. Mandiko Kwadzo was arrested at the scene and charged in connection with the killing. Friends and family described Carliena as a devoted mother; a fundraising page was created to support her children.

Does anyone have information about Carliena’s life in Sacramento or remember the events that night?