Las Vegas mother, son head to prison for woman’s murder
LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — A mother and son convicted for the murder of a woman last year will both serve at least 15 years in prison before they are eligible for parole, a judge ruled Tuesday.
Las Vegas Metro police arrested Sakoya James, 41, in March 2023 for the Feb. 26, 2023, shooting death of Rose-Maree Abeita, 33, at an apartment complex on Twain Avenue near University Center Drive. A few weeks later, police in California arrested James’ son, Lashawn Hick, 25, for his involvement.
Last month, James and Hick entered Alford pleas on a charge of second-degree murder with a deadly weapon enhancement. The plea means they do not accept guilt but understand prosecutors had enough evidence to convince a jury to convict them.
Both James and Hick agreed to serve an aggregate sentence of 15-45 years in prison, which Clark County District Court Judge Carli Kierny sentenced the pair to Tuesday.
The shooting occurred during a fight at the complex involving several people including Abeita and James, prosecutors said. According to grand jury transcripts, James told Hick to get a gun.
“Hick and [James] then began to argue about who was going to pull the trigger as [James] continued to hit [Abeita],” prosecutors said. Hick then reached out over another person and shot Abeita in the stomach and the face.
With credit for time served, both Hick and James will be eligible for parole in 2038.
James was already in the custody of the Nevada Department of Corrections, where she began serving a sentence on a burglary charge in 2023, records said.
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