A 37-year-old man was found guilty for the first-degree murder of a Stockton karate studio owner, the San Joaquin County District Attorney’s Office said.
Dontae Alfonso Wilburn was found guilty of killing of Rodney Hu during a hit-and-run at a parking lot in the 2300 block of W. Hammer Lane on May 2, 2020.
“The defendant in this case made a conscious decision to take the life of a husband, father, and friend to many. This kind of conduct has no place in our community,” said District Attorney Tori Verber Salazar.
According to the DA, following a verbal disagreement with Hu, Wilburn intentionally struck, ran over and murdered the victim in the parking lot of the Food Source grocery store.
Police said at 3:30 p.m. officers were dispatched to the parking lot and upon arrival located a 45-year-old man and a 44-year-old woman who had been struck by a vehicle.
The man later identified as Hu was taken to a hospital in serious condition and died from his injuries, police said.
The woman was treated for minor injuries and survived.
Hu was known in the Stockton community as the owner of Rodney Hu Goju Karate studio and was also a role model to students, friends, and community members, said the county’s District Attorney’s Office.
According to police, Wilburn fled the scene in a car but was located by officers and taken into custody.
Following his arraignment in 2020, Wilburn’s bail was set at $2.5 million.
Wilburn is set to appear in court Jan. 30 for court trial on prior offenses and formal sentencing.
Hu’s family and friends will be issuing victim impact statements at the hearing.
