Benicia Knapps, 33, has been sentenced to 19 years to life in state prison for the fatal shooting of Home Depot loss prevention officer Blake Mohs, 26, on April 18, 2023. Knapps pleaded no contest to second-degree murder with a gun enhancement, as part of a plea deal with prosecutors. Her co-defendant, David Guillory, 32, pleaded no contest to child abuse, accessory to a robbery, and evading an officer, and will receive 7 years and 4 months in prison.
Mohs was working at the Home Depot store at 6000 Johnson Drive when he confronted Knapps, who had taken a tool storage box without paying. Knapps shot Mohs in the chest, and then fled in an SUV driven by Guillory that also contained Knapps’ daughter, then 21 months old. The vehicle was pursued by law enforcement officers to Ney Avenue in East Oakland, where both Knapps and Guillory were arrested. The child was turned over to relatives.
In a news release announcing the plea deal, Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price said: “Blake Mohs was murdered for nothing more than doing his job. My condolences go out to his family, friends, coworkers and the community who are still grieving his death. While nothing can be done to undo this senseless tragedy, I hope that holding these two defendants accountable for taking Blake’s life will be an important step in the lifetime healing journey for his family and friends, and they will be able to move beyond their grief and trauma.”
The plea deal was reached with the blessing of Mohs’ family, who were present in court during the negotiations with the defense and when the plea was entered. Knapps and Guillory will be formally sentenced on June 6, 2024, at the East County Hall of Justice in Dublin. They remain in custody at Santa Rita Jail.
