(KRON) — A 29-year-old Concord man was convicted of murder on Tuesday in connection to the 2019 killing of a teenager at the Petaluma Outlets. David Kyle Lubkin was found guilty by jury of first degree murder and discharging a firearm at a motor vehicle causing death, according to the Sonoma County District Attorney’s Office.
The conviction stemmed from the 2019 killing of 19-year-old Ezequiel Garcia at the Petaluma Outlets.
“The jury’s guilty verdict of first-degree murder is the result of countless hours of hard work by tireless detectives, analysts and prosecutors, all dedicated to providing justice to Mr. Garcia’s family,” said Sonoma County DA Carla Rodriguez. “My only hope is that Mr. Garcia’s family finds some solace in today’s outcome.”
The initial incident occurred on Sept. 28, 2019 when Lubkin met Garcia at the Petaluma Outlets under the guise of buying a gold necklace off Craigslist. When the victim drove up, Lubkin confronted him about another necklace he sold to him several days earlier, the DA said.
Lubkin then pulled a gun from his waistband and fired three shots as the victim drove away. Garcia was struck by one of the shots and died from his injuries not long after. Two eyewitnesses came forward to provide statements on what they had seen.
With this information, detectives with Petaluma PD were able to launch an investigation leading to Lubkin’s arrest. Lubkin confessed to being the shooter during the trial, but maintained it was in self defense.
The jury rejected this assertion and returned a conviction as to all counts, the DA said. Lubkin now faces up to 50 years to life in state prison. Sentencing is set for sometime in late July.