Former Kings Player Facing Multi-Million Dollar Lawsuit After Deadly Shooting
SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — A former Sacramento Kings player is facing a multi-million dollar lawsuit after a fatal shooting happened inside the house he was renting.
Three people were shot in August and one of the victims died at the home on Clover Ranch Road near Vineyard. Trey Devaughn Hallman, 25, was arrested for the shooting after an hours-long manhunt.
The Sacramento County Sheriff's Office says Hallman shot his three roommates, killing longtime friend Terrell Brown.
Now homeowners are suing the person on the lease, former Sacramento Kings player Willie Cauley-Stein.
The owners of the home, Dr. Samuel and Eva Rodriguez, filed a lawsuit in Superior Court for the County of Sacramento, saying Cauley-Stein intentionally violated his lease agreement.
READ: Victim Dies From Gunshot Wounds Week After Triple Shooting At Vineyard-Area Home
Angelica Ray is the Rodriguez' lawyer. She says Cauley-Stein rented this home for a year while he was a player for the Kings.
She says he sublet the home, which is a violation of his lease.
"Whatever was going on that day, Mr. Cauley-Stein is responsible because he was the tenant at the time," said Angelina Ray. "It was he, that was going to lease the property, it was not anyone else."
The suit also says after the incident, the home was damaged including, "bullet holes in the walls, bloodstains throughout the home, and broken windows."
Ray says that cost the homeowners more than $200,000 in value. They were trying to sell the home at the time, and claim this cost them another $1 million when prospective buyers backed out of an agreement after the shooting.
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"Since then, the Rodriguez's have had to restore the house to its previous beauty and luster, and are working to get it back on the market," she said.
CBS13 dug deeper asking if you can be held responsible for somebody else's actions inside a home you are renting? The answer is, yes, if it breaks your lease agreement.
"He's going to be responsible for any kind of damage that results in the damage of the market value," said Landlord-Tenant Attorney Mitch Abdallah.
He says in this case, Cauley-Stein was not allowed to sub-lease his home. This means the Rodriguez's case could hold up in court, but perhaps not for as much as the couple is asking.
"I suspect they're going to be slashed considerably. I see the landlord perhaps going after the celebrity status and maybe a little over-reaching in my opinion," said Abdallah.
CBS13 reached out to the men who were living in the house and survived the shooting, but they did not want to comment on the lawsuit.
CBS13 also reached out to Cauley-Stein for comment but have not yet heard back.
