Two Tongan gang members get life imprisonment for murder in US

Two Tongan men have received life sentences for a crime spree involving murdering a rival gang member on Sacramento City College campus and an armed robbery of a Church’s Chicken.

Tēvita Kaihea was sentenced to 112 years to life in prison on Friday after being found guilty by a jury of first-degree murder, attempted murder, two counts of robbery, vehicle theft and a felon in possession of a firearm, the Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office said in a press release.

His accomplice Charlie Hola was previously sentenced to 48 years and 8 months to life in prison on June 22 on related charges, a press release reportedly said.

Kaihea and Hola, who are members of the Tongan Crip street gang, according to the DA’s office, were arrested following a string of crimes committed on Sept. 3, 2015.

The two first stole a car from the 47th Avenue light rail station and drove to Church’s Chicken on Florin Road, where they proceeded to commit an armed robbery.

“They then shot a south Sacramento resident in the face when the resident noticed the two acting suspiciously in the neighbourhood,” the press release said. That victim survived, officials said.

Kaihea and Hola then drove toward Sacramento City College, abandoning the car nearby, and then got into a gang fight that ended in the shooting death of Roman Gonzalez, reportedly a member of the Norteno gang.