A Gwinnett County grandfather was sentenced to 15 years in prison Monday, two years after he shot and killed his daughter’s 23-month-old son.
Luis Efrain Torres, 41, was scheduled to stand trial this week on charges of felony murder and aggravated assault. Gwinnett County Chief Assistant District Attorney Dan Mayfield said the defendant instead opted to plead guilty to a lesser charge of voluntary manslaughter.
Judge Karen Beyers sentenced Torres to 20 years, 15 of which will be served in confinement, Mayfield said.
Torres has been in the Gwinnett County jail since Aug. 21, 2013, the morning after he allegedly shot his young grandson, Deandre Vega, at his Lilburn-area home. Police — and Torres — have said all along that Deandre was not the intended target.
According to previous reports, Torres and Deandre’s father, Rochell McCoy, got into an argument on the night in question. The duo tussled in the garage, and Torres was allegedly aiming for McCoy when he pulled out a handgun and fired several shots.
One of the shots hit Deandre, who was standing nearby in the driveway. The toddler was taken to the hospital but did not survive.
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