Luis Efrain Torres
Local news
A grandfather facing trial for felony murder and two counts of aggravated assault on Monday accepted a plea offer to voluntary manslaughter nearly two years after accidentally shooting his 23-month-old grandson.
Luis Efrain Torres was sentenced to 20 years to serve 15 years in confinement, said Dan Mayfield, chief assistant district attorney. The case was heard by Judge Karen Beyers and prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Samantha Routh.
The incident that brought Torres to court happened on Aug. 20, 2013 when Gwinnett County Police responded to a home on Stafford Drive in unincorporated Lilburn. Torres and his grandson’s father, Rochell McCoy, who was 29 at the time, were in an argument when police said Torres fired several shots at McCoy in the driveway. One of them struck 23-month-old Deandre Vega, three weeks from his second birthday. Vega later died at a local hospital. There were no other injuries.
Torres, who was 39 at the time, remained on scene and was present when officers arrived. He was charged with felony murder and aggravated assault.
Defense attorney Edwin Wilson brought up his client’s prosthetic right leg and the subsequent vulnerability when confronted by someone larger than him, such as McCoy. He stressed that Torres had asked McCoy to leave multiple times.
“Are you aware that nobody intended any harm to the child?” he asked Leak.
“Correct,” Leak responded.
