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DeKalb teen convicted in ‘orchestrated’ plot that led to murder

Benjamin Carpenter
Benjamin Carpenter
Joshua Sharpe
By Joshua Sharpe

A DeKalb County jury has convicted a Decatur teen of murder in the death of a 22-year-old Chamblee man.

Benjamin Carpenter, 19, shot Lucio “Geo” Vasquez on Aug. 11 last year outside a Lavista Road apartment complex, the district attorney’s office said.

Carpenter and co-defendant Christian Hernandez had “lured (Vasquez) there under the guise of buying drugs from him,” a news release said. “The men had actually orchestrated a plan hours earlier to rob the victim and run.”

Vasquez started to hand a bag of marijuana over, but Carpenter pulled a gun and shot him as Vasquez tried to defend himself.

Hernandez pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter and was sentenced to 30 years, with 25 years to serve.