Alameda County District Attorney's Office: PEOPLE V WILL WATSON

Press release from the Alameda County District Attorney's Office:

Dec 21, 2021

On Dec. 17, 2021 a jury found defendant Will Watson guilty of the second-degree murder of Gregory Ignacio, Jr. The jury also found true the enhancement for personally and intentionally discharging a firearm causing death to another person.

On September 22, 2016, 19-year-old Gregory Ignacio and some friends purchased marijuana from Jacob Felipe in front of Mr. Felipe’s apartment on Fairview Street in Berkeley. Mr. Ignacio and Mr. Felipe had previously been friends and grew up together on Fairview Street; however, their friendship had ended some time in early 2016 following a dispute over marijuana. During the September 22, 2016 marijuana deal, Mr. Ignacio and Mr. Felipe exchanged words near Mr. Felipe’s driveway. Following that exchange, Mr. Ignacio and his friends walked away from the area. Mr. Felipe returned inside his apartment complex where the defendant, who he knew through marijuana dealing, was waiting for him. Mr. Felipe told the defendant that Mr. Ignacio had “gotten in his face” out on the street. The defendant replied he was going to go “check” Ignacio and “get up on him.”

This press release was produced by the Alameda County District Attorney's Office. The views expressed here are the author’s own.