Life sentence for last member of drug robbing crew in Loganville homicide
LOGANVILLE, Ga. - The third member of a drug robbing crew responsible for the shooting death of a man in the driveway of his Loganville home has been sentenced to life in prison on Friday.
Miguel Angel Gonzales, 24, was convicted of two counts each of felony murder, aggravated assault, and criminal attempt to commit a felony, along with one count of possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony for the Feb. 10, 2020, shooting death of 28-year-old Marcus Gilead. Gonzales, who was 20 at the time of the incident, was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole, plus five years.
"No one in Gwinnett County should have to be afraid of being robbed or threatened," Gwinnett County District Attorney Patsy Austin-Gatson said. "This conviction and sentence stand as a message that this kind of lawless behavior is not acceptable and carries serious consequences."
Gonzales along with Abraham Quintanar and Sebastian Resendiz-Garcia hatched a plan to steal $600 back from Gilead hours after Gonzales had paid that amount for marijuana. The trio went to Gilead's home on Wrenwood Court in Loganville and found Gilead sitting in an SUV outside his home with another man. The three approached with guns drawn and ordered Gilead and his companion out of the vehicle, demanding, "Where’s it at?"
The three robbers ordered the men out of the vehicle and told them to empty their pockets. Witnesses reported hearing gunfire, as a fight between two of the men broke out.
The robbing crew fled on foot and Gonzales texted co-defendant Resendiz-Garcia soon after the shooting. The text read, "I feel like I shot one of ‘em, and (I know) for a fact AB did, too."
Resendiz-Garcia was arrested on Feb. 11, 2020, and eventually pleaded guilty to reduced charges of voluntary manslaughter. His cohorts were arrested days later.
Quintanar confessed to firing his weapon and on March 1, a jury found him guilty of all eight charges against him, including two aggravated assault counts, a pair of gun possession counts, and the felony murder charges. He was also sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole.
Gonzales had been free on $50,000 bond and confined to home confinement with an ankle monitor before the trial. He had been released in April 2020. He was taken back into custody following the verdict.