Gang Members Arrested In Hemet Shootings: Police

BANNING, CA — Two documented gang members accused in a pair of shootings in the Hemet area that left one person seriously wounded were behind bars Thursday.

Donte Deray Session, 20, and Devion Tyresh Washington, 19, both of Hemet, were arrested during the last week following an investigation by the Hemet-San Jacinto Valley Gang Task Force.

Washington is charged with two counts each of attempted murder and assault with a firearm, along with one count of criminal street gang activity. Session is only charged with probation violations at this point, though he's listed as a co-conspirator in Washington's case, according to court documents.

Each defendant is being held on $1 million bail at the Smith Correctional Facility in Banning.

The men are slated to make a joint court appearance at the Banning Justice Center Wednesday.

According to Hemet police Sgt. Bob Nishida, a gang task force investigator, on Nov. 29, one or both of the defendants allegedly opened fire on a man in the 600 block of South State Street in Hemet, but the victim ducked out of the line of fire and was not hurt.

On Dec. 5, Washington allegedly targeted three people — including a 2-year-old girl — in the 41800 block of Briarwood Avenue, near Stanford Street, in East Hemet, according to Nishida.
The child was not harmed, but a man suffered life-threatening gunshot wounds, from which he is still recovering, the sergeant said.

Other than being gang-related, no other potential motives were disclosed.

Nishida said that over the ensuing weeks, Hemet-San Jacinto Valley Gang Task Fore personnel worked to identify the alleged assailants, culminating in search warrants being served on Jan. 9 and Wednesday.

Session was taken into custody first, without incident, for alleged probation violations related to a battery conviction. Washington was arrested Wednesday night, also without complications. He has no documented prior felony convictions in adult court.