A San Diego County jury yesterday convicted 27-year-old Andrew Cardona Gomez of second-degree murder in the shooting that killed 51-year-old Anthony Trujillo at Kunkel Park in Lemon Grove on Feb. 23, 2025. The decision caps a yearlong case that turned on sharply different stories about what sparked the confrontation in the middle of the day.
Jurors returned the guilty verdict Thursday, and a sentencing hearing is tentatively set for April 16. Prosecutors say Gomez faces up to 40 years to life in state prison, according to The San Diego Union‑Tribune. The conviction followed several days of testimony and evidence at trial.
How the shooting unfolded
The San Diego County Sheriff's Office says deputies were called to Kunkel Park around 12:40 PM on Feb. 23, 2025, for reports of an assault and found Trujillo lying on the ground, according to the San Diego County Sheriff's Office. First responders took him to a nearby hospital, where he was later pronounced dead. The county medical examiner's preliminary finding listed a gunshot wound to the neck as the cause of death. Homicide investigators said early findings suggested the victim and suspect knew each other.
Arrest and trial testimony
Authorities arrested Gomez on Feb. 27, 2025, at a home in the 900 block of S. Magnolia Avenue in El Cajon, KGTV reported. Court documents presented at trial show Gomez told detectives the victim pulled out a gun and that Trujillo punched him and tried to grab his chain, as reported by The San Diego Union‑Tribune. Those conflicting accounts sat at the heart of the jury's deliberations.
Community reaction
The killing in a public park rattled nearby residents and city leaders. Lemon Grove Mayor Alysson Snow said she was "shocked and grieving" and urged the community to cooperate with investigators, according to East County Magazine. Neighbors have since pushed for more patrols and safety upgrades at Kunkel Park.
Legal note
According to FindLaw, a second-degree murder conviction in California typically carries an indeterminate term starting at 15 years to life, with potential sentence increases from firearm enhancements and prior strikes. Prosecutors in the Lemon Grove case told jurors that the mix of charges and alleged gun use could push Gomez's punishment into the higher range discussed during trial.
