Man sentenced in Christmas murder of mom in front of daughter in South LA

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- A 20-year-old man was sentenced to 29 years in state prison for the murder of a mother in front of her 3-year-old daughter on Christmas night in South Los Angeles in 2010.

Ezekiel Simon is the only one of the four defendants who accepted a plea deal.

On Dec. 25, 2010, 25-year-old Kashmier James was shot and killed in the 1700 block of W. 85th Street in Manchester Square. James' daughter, Neveah, was sitting in the front seat of the family car when she was killed, prosecutors said.

Police believe the gang members were out looking for rivals and Houston mistook James' friend for a gang member on the night of the shooting.

Derrick Williams, 20, Darnell Houston, 38, and Lamar McKnight, 28, were also found guilty in the murder. They were scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 16.