Man charged in death of Kent toddler sentenced in gun case

A man charged in the fatal drive-by shooting of a Kent toddler has been sentenced in an unrelated crime after pointing a gun at three strangers at a gas station.

DeMartrae “Marty” Leshawn Kime, 24, made headlines last month after Kent police identified him as the shooter of 1-year-old Malijha Grant as she sat strapped in a car seat in the back seat of her parents’ Chevy Impala in April.

A federal judge last week sentenced him to three years and eight months in prison for unlawful possession of a firearm in a separate case. He also must serve three years of supervised release for the Oct. 25, 2014 incident.

Kime was pulling into a Seattle gas station as three people got into a ride-share vehicle. He pointed a gun at them and said “Don’t come up on my car like that, homey.”

The victims called police after driving away. Kime was arrested as he pumped gas.

Investigators found several packages of cocaine in his pocket and a Taurus .45 caliber pistol in his glovebox.

Kime is prohibited from having weapons due to assault, robbery and theft convictions dating back to 2010.

“This case exemplifies the need to keep firearms out of the hands of convicted felons,” U.S. Attorney Annette L. Hayes said in a statement. “This defendant used a gun to threaten people who simply walked past his car at a gas station. I commend the witness who not only alerted police, but helped identify this defendant so he could be held accountable.”

Kime is scheduled to stand trial for the April 16 shooting of Malijha. The toddler died two days later.

Kime is charged with one count of second-degree murder and two counts of first-degree assault in that case. Police said they believe it was a gang-related shooting and the child’s father was the intended target. The father denied being a gang member.

Kime is also charged in an armed robbery in Oregon.

This story was originally published January 18, 2016 at 8:49 AM with the headline "Man charged in death of Kent toddler sentenced in gun case."