Aiping Diao, a 60-year-old man from China, was tragically shot and killed on April 13, 2016, in West Covina, California. Diao and his wife, Shu Zhang, were visiting their daughter and her family at their condominium on Oahu Street. On the night of the incident, their daughter was at work, leaving Diao and Zhang at home with their son-in-law, Caminero Wang, and their three grandchildren. Neighbors reported hearing gunshots and children screaming, prompting officers to respond to the scene.
Upon arrival, they found Diao and Zhang dead from gunshot wounds inside the condominium. The couple's grandchildren, aged 8, 6, and 3, were found hiding in a bathroom, unharmed.
Caminero Wang, the son-in-law, was arrested at the scene and later charged with two counts of murder. The charges included special circumstances allegations of using a handgun and committing multiple murders. Wang had a history of domestic violence, with a previous incident in 2013 where police confiscated 23 guns from his home. Despite this, he was sentenced to three years of summary probation, which was later dismissed in 2014. Following the murders, Wang was held without bail and faced the possibility of the death penalty or life in prison.
In January 2019, Wang was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, plus an additional 25 years, after being found guilty of first-degree murder. The jury also found true the special circumstance allegations of multiple murders and the use of a handgun. The tragic deaths of Aiping Diao and Shu Zhang were the result of a family dispute that escalated into violence, leaving their family and community in shock and mourning.
