Grant of parole for West Sacramento murderer recovered – Daily Democrat

The Board of Parole Hearings unanimously decided the previous grant for parole for Daniel Robinson was “improper” during a rescission hearing.

Robinson, 46, was previously granted parole on Dec. 15, 2021. However, according to a press release from the Yolo County District Attorney’s Office, Gov. Gavin Newsom raised concerns after reviewing the decision.

“Specifically, the governor asked the full Board of Parole Hearings to consider information of institutional misconduct, dated March 22, 2022, and additional “confidential information” dated April 19, 2022,” the press release explained. “Based on the request of the governor, and the new information, BPH set a “recission” hearing to determine whether the two-member panel made the appropriate decision at the Dec. 15 hearings.”

Robinson was found guilty of second-degree murder and sentenced to 18 years to life for killing 16-year-old Robert Castro in a gang-related drive-by shooting in 1996. Castro was riding his bike in West Sacramento at the time of the shooting.

Robinson and his friends were associated with the 29th Street Crips. Because they felt disrespected by the Broderick Boys, a West Sacramento gang, they decided to get revenge by shooting Castro, even though they had never seen him, didn’t know him and had no reason to believe he was in a gang, the press release said.

During the rescission hearing, which was conducted via video conference on Friday, Commissioner Catherine Purcell presented evidence that Robinson had illegally possessed a phone in his cell on March 22, 2022, and with the assistance of his wife, had committed EDD fraud. Text messages between the two showed them communicating about the fraud as far back as August 2020.

Purcell stated that Robinson “received significant fraudulent money,” which his wife deposited into his inmate bank account.

“We find that there’s good cause to respind your parole grant,” Purcell said. “First, we have found true the 2020 cell phone violation, that you possessed the phone at the time of the grant hearing and actually well before that. The phone texts show that you engaged in EDD fraud as well.”

“We find that you engaged in criminal thinking because of these things,” she continued. “First you were not truthful under oath at your parole hearing and when you did so, you were untruthful in order to secure a grant of parole. We have found that the last panel’s grant of parole was improvised because some of the panel’s conclusions could not be reconciled with the evidence….”

The current hearing was only to determine whether the December 2021 panel’s decision was improper. Robinson will be entitled to another hearing to determine his suitability for parole within 120 days.

“Board members took the concerns expressed by Gov. Newsom to heart, reviewed the evidence, and took note of Mr. Robinson’s dishonesty and sophisticated criminal conduct,” said Yolo County District Attorney Jeff Reisig. “This was a senseless and horrific gang shooting of a 16-year-old boy who was targeted simply because Robinson and his fellow gang members felt disrespected by the Broderick Boys. Clearly, Mr. Robinson’s very recent violations in prison and the EDD fraud are indicative that he still remains a danger to the public.”

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