Teen Pleads Guilty in Shooting Death of Lemon Grove Man

A teen accused of fatally shooting a man in what authorities called a drug deal gone bad, has changed his plea to guilty and could face up to 13 years in prison.

Eugene Lucious Veal, 18, from San Diego, had originally pleaded not guilty to one count of first-degree murder as well as felony burglary and drug charges.

But on Monday, he took a deal and changed his plea to guilty of voluntary manslaughter with a vicariously armed allegation and first-degree robbery, Tanya Sierra, public affairs officer wrote in an email to Lemon Grove Patch.

Sentencing is set for 8:30 a.m. May 29 in Dept 12. He agreed to the stipulated term of 13 years and 4 months, Sierra wrote.

He is one of two suspects charged in the March 14 shooting death of Avel Michael Edgar, 23, of Lemon Grove. Veal is accused of being the shooter.

Prosecutors say Veal and Alfredo Hayes, 19, went to Edgar’s home, in the 8200 block of Mt. Vernon Street the night of March 14 to buy a large amount of marijuana. Hayes showed a handgun during the transaction, and Edgar put the marijuana in a safe. It was then, said the deputy district attorney, that Veal began to pistol whip the victim, and the gun discharged.

Hayes, had also been charged with first-degree murder, as well as felony robbery, burglary, firearms and drug charges.

San Diego Sheriff’s deputies responded to a report of gunfire about 9:45 p.m. March 14 and found Edgar wounded in the residence. He was pronounced dead at 10:10 p.m., according to the Medical Examiner’s office, which later determined the cause of death to be a gunshot wound to the head.

City News Service Contributed to this report.