5 arrested in connection to deadly shooting of 20-year-old mother in Hanford

HANFORD, Calif. (KFSN) -- After a month's long investigation into the murder of 20-year-old Nana Jeff Silva back in April, five people are now arrested.

Three adults identified as Dominic Spain, Gerald Villasenor, and Aiyana Jeff have been arrested, as well as two unidentified minors.

The investigation was intensive and involved several allied agencies, including Hanford Police, Lemoore Police and the Kings County Sheriff's Office.

"Conducting interviews, reviewing video footage, following up on numerous leads and ultimately authorizing over 50 search warrants," says Hanford Police Chief Stephanie Huddleston.

Investigators were able to track down the suspects by linking the suspects in Silva's murder to a shooting in Lemoore.

"What appeared to be separate was unrelated. The answer was to look beyond the individual cases and to think bigger than collaboratively thanks strategically," says Sarah Hacker, Kings County District Attorney.

Lemoore Police say the first shooting was a separate gang crime with the same suspects but unrelated victims.

After that incident, just four hours later, the suspects made their way to a home on Holt Avenue in Hanford, where Silva was asleep inside.

"We discovered that a 20-year-old female Nana Jeff Silva sustained a gunshot wound to the head," says Chief Huddleston.

The incident is believed to be targeted, but Hanford police say the motive doesn't appear to be murder.

"The motive at this time is robbery," says Chief Huddleston.

The family told Action News the young mother of two pleaded to the shooters -- her last words were "Please don't do this, there are children here."

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The three adult suspects now face several charges, including murder and robbery with gang enhancements.

Detectives revealed that one of the suspects, Aiyana Jeff, is related to Nana and is her distant cousin.

As for the two teenage suspects, Hacker says her office plans to prosecute them to the fullest extent of the law.

"What our office is hoping to do is file motions to transfer those two juvenile offenders in this case to adult court," says Hacker.

The shooters were reckless. Officials say they barely missed several children asleep inside.

Once a lively family home, months later, still riddled with bullets and sitting vacant.

Authorities hope these arrests bring closure and justice to the grieving family.

Even though these five people are in custody, authorities are still investigating and believe there may be additional arrests in the future.

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