By Linh Nguyen
WOODLAND – A West Sacramento woman delivered an emotional testimony against her boyfriend of one year for an incident of assault.
The defendant Sonny Gill was accused of assaulting his girlfriend of nearly one year, which took place in public in front of a Rite Aid store in West Sacramento. Gill and his girlfriend had been living together in a hotel in West Sacramento for two months. According to the alleged victim, K.S., this is not the first time he has gotten physically violent with her. The preliminary trial is to determine if there is enough evidence for the defendant to be tried for the incident that occurred on Feb. 9, 2020.
Throughout her testimony, the alleged victim struggled to answer just the attorneys’ questions, often going into further detail than what was asked of her at the time. The Court intervened multiple times to remind K.S. to only answer what was asked of her.
On Feb. 9, 2020, the alleged victim was supposed to pick up the defendant from his workplace. However, she missed five of his phone calls. She arrived at his place of work but was told by his coworkers that he had left. The alleged victim drove back to the hotel but found him walking on the way back.
She pulled over to him, rolled down the passenger side window and asked him to get in the car. She claimed that he was visibly mad and refused to get in. She followed him for a few minutes before pulling over again and asking him to get in the car. The defendant then allegedly threw a plastic water bottle onto her windshield, water “splatter[ing]” on her windshield.
Scared and not wanting to return to the hotel, K.S. went to the Rite Aid near their hotel. Gill allegedly followed her in there and pretended to buy something, not wanting to draw attention. A customer in the store called law enforcement for her without her asking him to. K.S. claimed this customer noticed she might be in need of help.
K.S. then left the store and Gill followed her. She tried to run away from him, but Gill allegedly had her by the neck and in a chokehold. Upon releasing her, the defendant also allegedly punched 
her on the right cheek.
The alleged victim said she was crying but no one was around to help her. At one point, she slipped and fell on the ground.
The police arrived at the scene and transported K.S. to the hospital. She sustained some pain in the throat.
K.S. alleged that Gill had hit her before the incident occurring on Feb 9, that the abuse had prolonged throughout their relationship. The most recent alleged incident prior occurred about two weeks earlier on Jan. 25, 2020.
K.S. and Gill shared expenses. The prosecution asked her if she cares about her boyfriend, to which she said yes and that she tried to help him quit drinking.
The Court found that there is sufficient evidence to hold the defendant to answer for the charges. Arraignment for this case is scheduled for March 12, 2020, at 9 a.m.
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