Getaway driver in case of slain Toronto rapper sentenced to life, no parole for 15 years

The man found to have driven the getaway car in the daylight shooting of an up-and-coming Toronto rapper in 2020 has been sentenced to life, with no chance of parole for 15 years.

On Friday, Superior Court Justice Brian O’Mara handed the decision down to Cjay Hobbs for his role in the death of 21-year-old Dimarjio Jenkins, who performed under the name of ‘Houdini.’

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In the years before his death, Jenkins had gained substantial success, along with an online following, through his music.

“Jenkins was a beloved son, nephew, and brother,” O’Mara said Friday as he read the decision to the court. “He was a talented musician who, by all accounts, had a bright future.”

Dimarjio Jenkins, a Toronto rapper known as Houdini by friends and fans, is seen in this photo. (Instagram / @houdini)

In November, Hobbs was convicted of second-degree murder in the May 26, 2020 shooting, which saw 23 bullets fly outside the Bisha Hotel in Toronto’s Entertainment District.

At the time, Jenkins and three associates were walking down Blue Jays Way near King Street when surveillance footage released by police shows a Volkswagen Tiguan make a sudden U-turn, and someone started shooting.

Upon arrival at the scene, officers located Jenkins suffering from gunshot wounds. Responding paramedics attempted life-saving measures, but were unsuccessful. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

The video also shows bystanders scattering, including a six-year-old boy and his mother, while two of Jenkins’s associates fire back.

READ MORE: Police release video of gun battle at vigil for slain Toronto rapper Houdini

“Other people, both old and young on the street, were also deeply impacted by these events,” O’Mara told the court. “The people of Toronto, those who live and work here, have suffered another blow to their sense of safety.”

Toronto Police work the scene of a shooting in downtown Toronto, Tuesday, May 26, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Cole Burston

Hobbs was arrested in connection with the shooting in November 2020. Nearly two years later, in the summer of 2022, police announced they had made another arrest in connection with Jenkins’ homicide – a suspect from Brampton who was a youth at the time of Jenkins’ murder and cannot be identified under the terms of the Youth Criminal Justice Act.

What role they played in the murder and the status of their legal proceedings are unclear.

In considering Hobbs’ sentence, O’Mara heard submissions from both defence counsel and prosecution, along with statements made by victims, bystanders and loved ones impacted by the shooting.

Lawyers for Hobbs, who had asked for a parole eligibility period of 12 to 14 years, argued that Hobbs' record had been informed by a life of personal struggle – Hobbs’ father was murdered in Jamaica, leaving him without a father figure, they submitted.

He left his parents' home in Nova Scotia at the age of 17 and, from that point on, “supported himself through the sale of drugs and other criminal activity,” O’Mara read.

Still, O’Mara found that Hobbs had known what was planned to occur on the day of the shooting. “He drove the shooter to and from the scene, knowing the shooter intended to commit murder, and assisted,” he read.

“Hobbs also failed to see the danger to several other people who were in the line of fire,” the judge continued.

During victim impact statements, heard in a December appearance, several family members of Jenkins spoke of the lasting impact his death has had on them.

Jenkin’s aunt, Dionne Christian, wrote in her statement that at the time of Jenkins’ death, he was expecting a child – that his common-law wife had just announced a pregnancy.

“It pains me to see [that] DJ will not see the wonderful child he created,” she said.

In their submissions, Crown attorneys asked for a parole eligibility period of no less than 16 years.

In addition to life in jail, Hobbs was handed a lifetime prohibition on the possession of weapons. He also must submit a sample of DNA to the court and has agreed not to make contact with any members of the victim’s family.

At this time, Hobbs is also facing another, separate first-degree murder charge in connection with the 2020 death of 12-year-old Dante Andreatta Marroqui, who was struck by a bullet while walking with his mother along a North York sidewalk.

With files from Phil Tsekouras and Jon Woodward.