MARTINEZ – A jury on Tuesday convicted two friends of the murder of one man and the attempted murder of another during a heated confrontation more than a year ago in Antioch.
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Amid controversy over burglary and Facebook post, a meeting was called. Now two East Bay men face a murder trial
The defendants, 54-year-old Lonnie Decker and 62-year-old Steven Kelly, were both charged with the murder of 41-year-old Roberto Gonzalez-Lamas and the attempted murder of his 59-year-old friend.
The confrontation happened on the evening of Jan. 23, 2024, when the defendants and the victims met on Bryan Avenue to sort out an escalating problem over burglary allegations.
The victims, upset over an earlier burglary of a storage unit, posted pictures on social media of the burglars and suspected Kelly and one of his relatives were responsible, authorities said.
Attorneys for Decker and Kelly said the men were best friends, but Contra Costa County prosecutors alleged Kelly brought Decker to the meeting not as a pal but to act as his “muscle” in a face-off.
Prosecutors also alleged Decker and Kelly showed up “armed and ready to shoot people.”
“These two were looking to confront Roberto Gonzalez-Lamas specifically,” Deputy District Attorney Kabu Adodoadji said.
Gonazlez-Lamas also came armed with a pistol and a heavy wrench. His friend may have also had a handgun hidden in his sweater, though it was later found elsewhere.
The confrontation was captured on security camera. The footage shows Kelly arguing with three other men before Decker arrives and pulls him away. Gonzalez-Lamas then pulls up in a vehicle, gets in Kelly’s face and yells at him to show his hands.
Seconds later, Decker draws a gun and fires, the footage shows.
Decker’s attorney, Garth McCardle, argued that his client simply reacted to Gonzalez-Lamas’ “violence,” while Kelly’s attorney, Nicole Eiland, maintained that her client pulled out his gun and shot wildly into a car because he panicked after Decker fired.
Decker, for his part, testified that he believed Gonzalez-Lamas was going for his gun.
Check back for updates.
