Man sentenced for killing wife and assaulting infant daughter in South Gate

A man was sentenced Dec. 9 to 69 years to life in state prison for fatally stabbing his wife and critically injuring their 5-month-old daughter in April, according to the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office. 

On Nov. 18, a jury found Felton Ladell Humphries Jr. of South Gate guilty of first-degree murder in the killing Alicia Renae Williams, 32. Humphries was also found guilty of assaulting his daughter with a deadly weapon, obstructing a peace officer, and interference with a police animal. Additionally, jurors found true special allegations that Humphries used a knife to commit the crime. He had a previous conviction of assault with a deadly weapon in 2012. 

Prosecutors said that on April 3, Humphries attacked his wife, with a knife as she was holding their 5-month-old daughter in their South Gate apartment. During the assault, Humphries also stabbed the child, according to prosecutors. 

When Williams’ family went to the home to check on her, Humphries jumped out of a second-floor window and fled, prosecutors said. A family member broke down the door and found Williams and the baby severely injured, prosecutors added.

L.A. County sheriff’s deputies responded, and Williams and her daughter were taken to the hospital. The child survived her injuries, but Williams was pronounced dead at 6:55 a.m. April 4. 

According to court testimony, Williams told authorities before she died that her husband had stabbed her. 

The night of the incident, police found Humphries hiding in brush near the 710 Freeway. Officers directed him to surrender and then deployed a police dog. Humphries fought the dog before he was arrested, prosecutors said. 

Contact the Homicide Report. Follow @jeromercampbell and @latimeshomicide on Twitter.