DJ Quik's Son Convicted of Second-Degree Murder

A Los Angeles County jury convicted David Marvin Blake Jr., the son of veteran hip-hop producer DJ Quik, of second-degree murder and shooting from a motor vehicle on December 4, 2024, in connection with the fatal shooting of a 33-year-old man in Downey, California, more than two years earlier.

The charges stem from an incident on May 25, 2022, when Blake, then 27, fired multiple shots at Julio Moises Cardoza Jr. from inside a parked vehicle during a fight involving Cardoza and another man. According to the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office, Cardoza suffered several gunshot wounds, including one to the chest, and was pronounced dead at a hospital later that day. Blake fled the scene in the vehicle and was arrested the following day in Porter Ranch, California, where he was held on a $2 million bond. He has remained in custody since his arrest.

The trial, which began in late November 2024, concluded with closing arguments on December 2. Jurors deliberated for several days before reaching the verdict, finding Blake responsible for inflicting great bodily injury and personally using a firearm in the killing. Prosecutors described the shooting as a deliberate act that...