Three Sentenced for Killing of Concord Man

Three young men have been sentenced for their roles in the shooting death of a 25-year-old Concord man in Oakland last July.

Andrew Lucero, 20, Jason Hunter, 20, and Samuel Garcia, 19, originally were all charged with murder for the death of Pretis Golson-Jackson at an apartment complex in the 2400 block of 106th Avenue at about 9:30 p.m. on July 15, 2011.

But prosecutor Mas Morimoto reached a deal with the three defendants earlier this year that allowed them to plead guilty to lesser charges.

Hunter and Garcia both pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter and were sentenced to 11 years in state prison while Lucero pleaded guilty to assault with a firearm and personal use and was sentenced to six years in prison.

Morimoto said Friday that the case was "complicated" because Golson-Jackson, who played football at Langston University in Oklahoma, may have started the altercation that led to his death and there were issues about the credibility of the prosecution's witnesses.

Family members and friends of Golson-Jackson wrote letters to Alameda County Superior Court Judge Morris Jacobson saying they think the plea agreement was "a miscarriage of justice" but Jacobson said he thinks the agreement is "reasonable" and he approves it.

Jacobson said, "The evidence is complicated and there are a lot of pieces to this puzzle and some things are still unanswered."

Golson-Jackson died from multiple gunshot wounds after a fight broke out between him and the three defendants at the apartment complex.

Golson-Jackson had once lived at the complex and was suspected of selling drugs there and had an ongoing feud with the other three men, authorities said.

He returned to the area last July 15, saw Lucero at a local liquor store and later came to the apartment complex armed with a gun and challenged Lucero to a fight, according to evidence in the case.

Lucero fled into his mother's apartment but Golson-Jackson pursued him and banged on the door with a handgun, according to Lucero's attorney, Deborah Levy.

Golson-Jackson walked away from the door but a short time later he got into a confrontation with the three men, was shot multiple times and died.

Levy said it's not clear which defendant fired the shot or shots that took Golson-Jackson's life.

- Bay City News Service