Fresno Couple Ordered to Stand Trial in Cleaning Business Owner's Robbery and Murder

A 20-year-old woman, Ceona Ashley Harvey, and a 33-year-old man, Derrick Lashan Hill, were ordered to stand trial for the February killing of Sabastian Caradonna, the owner of All Scrub Clean, during a robbery at his home in northeast Fresno. The pair, who know each other through their relatives' marriage, are accused of murder and robbery charges that could make them eligible for the death penalty. A preliminary hearing before Fresno County Superior Court Judge Carlos Cabrera revealed that Caradonna was shot in the abdomen with an assault rifle on his patio, where he was at home with his pregnant wife and two young children.

Key Takeaways:

• Ceona Ashley Harvey and Derrick Lashan Hill were ordered to stand trial for the murder and robbery of Sabastian Caradonna, the owner of All Scrub Clean.
• The pair, who know each other through their relatives' marriage, are accused of charges that could make them eligible for the death penalty.
• Prosecutor Chris Gularte presented testimony from Fresno police officers Eppie Cardenas and Brad Alcorn, who investigated the case.
• The investigation revealed that two men, described by Caradonna's employees as black, one taller than the other, and wearing hooded sweat shirts and scarves covering their faces, robbed and killed Caradonna on February 1.
• The men escaped in a car that police believe belonged to the mother of Hill's child, and Harvey allegedly had told Hill about Caradonna's business after working for the company in January.
• Harvey initially denied being near the scene of the crime, but later admitted to driving by the house with Hill the night before the killing.

Statistics:

• 20-year-old woman Ceona Ashley Harvey and 33-year-old man Derrick Lashan Hill were accused of murder and robbery.
• 39-year-old Sabastian Caradonna was shot in the abdomen with an assault rifle on his patio during the robbery.
• 2 men, described as black, robbed and killed Caradonna on February 1.
• Caradonna's employees later identified the men as possibly being black, one taller than the other, and wearing hooded sweat shirts and scarves covering their faces.

Sources:

• The Fresno Bee, "Fresno Couple Ordered to Stand Trial in Cleaning Business Owner's Robbery, Murder", John Ellis, Jun. 16
• The Fresno Bee is a publication of The Fresno Bee, Calif., distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News