Kawhi Leonard's Sister Faces Robbery and Murder Charges

Williams aunt Denise Woodard confirmed to the 'Press-Enterprise' that Williams and Kawhi are siblings.

Kimesha Monae Williams was charged Sept. 6, 2019, with murder, robbery
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Courtesy of Riverside County Sheriff’s Department

Kimesha Monae Williams was charged Sept. 6, 2019, with murder, robbery

Kawhi Leonard's sister is one of two women charged for their alleged connection in the fatal assault and robbery of an 84-year-old woman.

According to a news release from the Riverside County Sheriff's Department, 35-year-old Kimesha Williams and 39-year-old Candace Townsel are currently being held without bail on robbery and murder charges. Upon Williams arrest, her aunt, Denise Woodard, confirmed to The Press-Enterprise that Williams and Kawhi are siblings. Woodard declined to go into detail surrounding the crime but she did state that "[Leonard] didn’t have anything to do with this." (Leonard hasn't been accused of anything.)

On Aug. 31, authorities discovered 84-year-old Afaf Anis Assad unconscious in a bathroom at the Pechanga Resort Casino. Upon finding Assad, investigators determined that she "may have been the victim of an assault." She was then transferred to a local hospital for a skull fracture suffered during a robbery where her purse was stolen. Assad died from her injuries a few days later.

The President of the Pechanga Development Corporation, Jared Munoa, tells CNN that police were able to clearly identify Williams and Townsel due to the casino's surveillance system.

"The suspects were quickly identified through surveillance footage and the information was immediately provided to local law enforcement," Munoa said. "We pride ourselves on putting the safety of our guests and Team Members first and are fully cooperating with law enforcement to bring these perpetrators to justice."

Although CNN was unable to corroborate reports that Williams is Leonard's sister, the Press-Enterprise supported their findings by providing a written request from Riverside County sheriff’s investigator, who asked that the judge deny Williams bail because she has "family that are well off and could post her bail of $1,000,000."

Williams has previous convictions for petty theft, grand theft, misappropriating lost property, grand theft auto, and attempted robbery. Investigators also believe she and Townsel were responsible for the theft of a slot machine player's wallet at the same casino in 2015, but it's unclear if they were prosecuted for that crime.

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