Man Sentenced To 40 Years To Life In Prison For Lemon Grove Park Slaying

EL CAJON, CA — A man convicted of fatally shooting another man at Kunkel Park in Lemon Grove was sentenced Monday to 40 years to life in state prison.

Andrew Cardona Gomez, 28, was found guilty by an El Cajon jury of second-degree murder for the Feb. 23, 2025, slaying of Anthony Trujillo.

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 at an El Cajon residence four days after the shooting.

According to court documents filed by prosecutors, Gomez made statements after his arrest in which he claimed he shot Trujillo in self- defense after the victim pulled out a gun. He then changed his story and stated Trujillo punched him and tried to take his "chain," the documents state.

Gomez was sentenced Monday to 15 years to life for the second-degree murder count, plus 25 years to life for using a firearm in the killing.

— City News Service