DATE: June 23, 2025

CASE: Richard Gonzalez & Angelo Dilnawaz (Case #24FE005119)

PROSECUTOR: Deputy District Attorney Scott Schweibish, Homicide Unit

On June 20, 2025, the Honorable Maryanne Gilliard sentenced Richard Gonzalez to 57 years to life in prison and Angelo Dilnawaz to 26 years to life in prison.  On March 19, 2025, Gonzalez and Dilnawaz were convicted by a jury of first-degree murder and attempted robbery, with the allegation the defendants were armed with a gun in the commission of a felony found true.  Gonzalez was also convicted of felon in possession of a firearm. At the sentencing hearing, the judge found true an allegation that Gonzalez has a prior strike conviction for assault with a firearm.

On December 20, 2023, the defendants arranged to purchase drugs from the victim, Steven Haefner.  When the victim arrived, he got into the rear driver’s side seat of Richard Gonzalez’s vehicle.  Surveillance video captured the vehicle immediately pull away and the rear driver’s side door open.  The victim is seen trying to exit the vehicle but is pulled back inside. When the vehicle begins to drive away, a witness reported hearing a gunshot coming from the vehicle.  The vehicle is seen returning to the original meeting location and pushing the victim from the moving vehicle.  The victim was found bleeding profusely from two gunshot wounds and did not survive.  The jewelry the victim was seen wearing earlier was missing and no cash or drugs were found on him.  The investigation led officers to Gonzalez, who was on an ankle monitor at this time.  Further investigation then linked Dilnawaz to Gonzalez and placed them both in the area of the crime scene at the time of the shooting.