Man convicted of second-degree murder for Lemon Grove park shooting

A man was convicted of second-degree murder Thursday for fatally shooting another man at Kunkel Park in Lemon Grove last year.

Andrew Cardona Gomez, 27, was found guilty by an El Cajon jury for the Feb. 23, 2025, slaying of Anthony Trujillo, whom sheriff’s deputies found shot and lying on the ground at 12:44 p.m. Trujillo, 51, was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

An autopsy revealed that he died from a gunshot to the neck, according to the San Diego County Sheriff’s Office.

Gomez was arrested four days after the shooting at an El Cajon residence.

According to court documents filed by prosecutors, Gomez made statements after his arrest in which he claimed that the victim pulled out a gun before the shooting. He then changed his story and stated Trujillo punched him and tried to take his “chain,” the documents state.

Gomez faces up to 40 years to life in state prison when he is sentenced. His sentencing hearing is tentatively scheduled for April 16.

— City News Service