Karmen Dionne Anderson Hicks, a 40-year-old resident of San Diego, tragically lost her life on April 24, 2021, in Spring Valley, California. On that fateful night, Karmen was seated in the front passenger seat of a parked car outside Bancroft Market and Liquor, with her husband in the driver's seat and their 4-year-old daughter in the back. As her husband was about to drive off after making a quick purchase, gunshots rang out. Karmen was struck multiple times, including in the leg and hip.
Despite being rushed to a local hospital by a Good Samaritan, she succumbed to her injuries two days later on April 26, 2021. The cause of death was cardiac arrest during an emergency surgery, which was necessitated by the severe damage caused by one of the bullets to her colon.
The investigation into Karmen's death revealed that she was not the intended target. The assailants, identified as two men, one armed with a handgun and the other with a rifle, were believed to be targeting her husband due to his alleged ties to a rival gang. The shooters approached the car and fired more than a dozen rounds, three of which struck Karmen. Her husband, who was outside the car at the time, was unharmed, and their daughter in the back seat was also not injured. The San Diego Sheriff's Homicide Unit took over the investigation, and a plea for information was made to the public to help solve the case.
In July 2021, Jammerieo Austin, a 26-year-old resident of San Diego, was arrested and charged with Karmen's murder. The investigation had uncovered surveillance footage and a photograph of Austin with other gang members, one of whom was holding a rifle believed to be the murder weapon. Austin was found guilty of first-degree murder by an El Cajon Superior Court jury in June 2024. He was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, plus an additional 75 years to life. The prosecution argued that Austin and his accomplices had intended to kill Karmen's husband, but tragically, Karmen became the unintended victim of their violent act.
Karmen's family, devastated by her loss, described her as a beautiful, independent, and brilliant woman who was a devoted mother to her two children. She worked as an analyst at a local bank and was an aspiring writer. Her parents and loved ones continue to seek justice and closure, urging anyone with information about the incident to come forward. The community also rallied around the family, organizing vigils and fundraising efforts to support them during this difficult time.
