On February 6, 2023, 3-year-old Jetakhia Conway was staying with his family at a Motel 6 in Sacramento, California. LaShawn Sparks told the child's mother he was taking the boy to buy snacks at a nearby convenience store, but disappeared with the child for approximately two hours. During that period, Sparks beat and assaulted the child. Motel surveillance footage showed the child walking out of the room on his own but returning slumped over Sparks' shoulder. The following morning, the mother was awoken by Sparks stating the child was not breathing, and 911 was called. The child was transported to a hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival. An autopsy determined the cause of death was blunt force injuries to the head and neck area, and investigators found the child's blood on the motel bed and inside Sparks' car. Sparks was convicted of second-degree murder and assault resulting in the death of a child under 8, and was sentenced to 85 years to life in prison.
Contexts/Conditions
Is there any mention of child drug ingestion or overdose?
Is there any mention of a drowning incident (either intentional or accidental)?
Is there any mention of a firearm incident?
Is there any mention of inappropriate supervision (e.g., child wandered off and drowned)?
Is there any mention of inflicted injury? (e.g. slapped, punched, kicked, choked)
The DA sentencing press release states: "Sparks beat and assaulted the child. When the child returned to the motel, surveillance footage showed the child slumped over Sparks' shoulder." Additionally, "An autopsy determined the cause of death to be blunt force injuries to the head and neck area." This clearly describes inflicted physical injury through beating.
Is there any mention of malnutrition, starvation, or dehydration?
Is there any mention of medical neglect?
Is there any mention of a motor vehicle crash or incident?
Is there any mention of a murder-suicide incident?
Is there any mention of outdoor elements (including hot car deaths)?
Is there any mention of prenatal substance exposure (including fetal alcohol syndrome or neonatal abstinence syndrome)?
Is there any mention of sexual abuse?
Is there any specific mention of shaken baby or abusive head trauma?
The DA sentencing press release states the autopsy determined "the cause of death to be blunt force injuries to the head and neck area" inflicted during an assault. While the text does not use the specific clinical term "abusive head trauma," the death resulted from intentionally inflicted blunt force trauma to the head of a 3-year-old, which constitutes abusive head trauma by definition.
Is there any mention of prolonged abuse or torture (including restraints, captivity)?
Is there any mention of an unsafe sleeping environment?
Individuals Involved
Was an adoptive parent or guardian involved in the death?
Was a biological father involved in the death?
Was a biological mother involved in the death?
Was a day care worker, babysitter, or nanny involved in the death?
Was a female paramour or friend involved in the death (e.g., girlfriend, stepmother)?
Was a foster parent involved in the death?
Was a male paramour or friend involved in the death (e.g., boyfriend, stepfather)?
The DA press release describes Sparks staying with the family at a motel and telling "the child's mother" he was taking the child out to buy snacks. The phrasing distinguishes Sparks from the child's parent, and the living arrangement (together in a motel room) suggests a paramour/boyfriend relationship with the mother. The first ABC10 article notes: "The relationship between Conway and Sparks is not clear at this time." While the exact nature of the relationship is not explicitly stated, the circumstances strongly imply Sparks was a male paramour or companion of the mother.
Was another adult relative involved in the death? (e.g., grandfather, aunt)
Was a sibling involved in the death?
Child Characteristics
Was the child adopted?
Was the child homeschooled (including "cyberschooling") or taken out of school?
Was the child in foster care at the time of the incident?
Was the child living with relatives at the time of the incident (but not parents)?
Is there any mention of a neurological developmental child disability? (e.g., autism, intellectual disability, nonverbal)
Is there any mention of a physical child disability? (e.g., feeding tube)
Is there any mention of prematurity or low birthweight?
Is there a history of child protection reports prior to death (for this child or siblings)?
Does the child have a history of foster care (but not in care at time of incident)?
Is there a history of a sibling death (separate incident from this death)?
Parent/Caregiver Factors
Was an adult charged or arrested for the child's death?
The first ABC10 article states: "The Sacramento Police Department arrested 30-year-old Lashawn Sparks with a warrant for child endangerment and homicide." The DA sentencing press release confirms: "On April 8, 2025, a jury convicted Sparks of the second-degree murder of a 3-year-old child and assault resulting in the death of a child under 8 years old." He was sentenced to 85 years to life.
Is domestic violence by the parent/caregiver referenced?
Is there any mention that the death occurred in a temporary shelter or while homeless?
All three documents indicate the child's death occurred while the family was staying at a Motel 6. The DA press release states: "On February 6, 2023, the victim's family was staying at a motel in Sacramento." The ABC10 articles specifically identify it as "Motel 6 on 30th Street." A motel is a form of temporary shelter.
Is an intellectual disability of the parent/caregiver referenced?
Is the mental health of the parent/caregiver referenced?
Is a history of arrests or criminal charges for the parent/caregiver referenced?
The DA sentencing press release states: "The jury also found true that Sparks has prior strike convictions for first-degree burglary and robbery." These are prior convictions that predate and are separate from the current fatal incident.
Is substance use by the parent/caregiver referenced?
Notable Details
The DA sentencing press release provides notable details about the legal proceedings and sentence. Sparks was sentenced to 85 years to life in prison, driven in part by California's three-strikes law: "The jury also found true that Sparks has prior strike convictions for first-degree burglary and robbery." Additionally, motel surveillance footage played a key evidentiary role, showing the child walking out of the room and later returning "slumped over Sparks' shoulder," helping establish the timeline of abuse. Sparks told the mother he was taking the child to a convenience store for snacks but "disappeared for two hours with the child," during which time the assault occurred. Blood evidence was found both "on the motel room bed and inside the car."
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