Alleged killer of Bay Area merchant arraigned, trial date pending
A 23-year-old Solano man accused of fatally shooting a Benicia market owner in 2022 was arraigned Monday in Solano County Superior Court and will face a jury trial in Vallejo.
Nyzell Marquis Dubuisson appeared for the arraignment in the Justice Building in Vallejo.
As he did at his initial jail arraignment two years ago, he entered a not-guilty plea, and Judge Robert Bowers scheduled a trial setting for Aug. 26.
Dubuisson is charged with killing Bahadur Singh, 60, the longtime owner of the Rose Market, on March 8, 2022.
The defendant is charged with 20 counts in all, including first-degree murder, with special circumstances; two counts of second-degree robbery; two counts of assault with a firearm on a person; and 15 counts of robbery, a series of crimes Dubuisson reportedly committed between Jan. 24 and March 5, 2022.
He is represented by criminal defense attorney Vincent Maher and co-defense counsel Tim Pori. Deputy District Attorney Bill Ainsworth leads the prosecution.
Dubuisson’s arraignment comes after a weekslong preliminary hearing held earlier this year.
Jail records suggest that Dubuisson apparently eluded law enforcement for several days after the shooting, but Benicia police officers finally arrested him on March 11 in the 3600 block of Broadway.
In a press release issued at the time, Solano County District Attorney Krishna Abrams said Singh has been described “as one of the most kind, generous, and hard-working men in our community.” She promised to hold those responsible for his death “to the fullest extent of the law.”
As part of the prepared statement, Benicia Chief of Police Mike Greene added, “Mr. Singh’s death is a huge loss to our community and he will be sadly missed.”
The murder charge with special circumstances, that is, in this case, a murder committed during a robbery, means Dubuisson, if found guilty at trial, could face life without the possibility of parole or the death penalty.
Capitial punishment is still on the books in California. However, since March 2019, a moratorium issued by Gov. Gavin Newsom has halted executions in the Golden State.
Dubuisson remains without bail in the Stanton Correctional Facility in Fairfield.