Contra Costa Man Convicted Of Murder In 2019 North Bay Shooting

SONOMA COUNTY, CA — A Concord man was convicted Tuesday of first-degree murder in the 2019 killing of a young man in Petaluma.

A Sonoma County jury also convicted 29-year-old David Kyle Lubkin of discharging a firearm at a motor vehicle causing the Sept. 28, 2019, death of 19-year-old Santa Rosa man Ezequiel Garcia in the parking lot of the Petaluma Outlets on Petaluma Boulevard North.

“The jury’s guilty verdict of first-degree murder is the result of countless hours of hard work by tireless detectives, analysts and prosecutors, all dedicated to providing justice to Mr. Garcia’s family," Sonoma County District Attorney Carla Rodriguez said. "My only hope is that Mr. Garcia’s family finds some solace in today’s outcome."

On Sept. 28, 2019, Lubkin met with Garcia at the Petaluma Outlets under the guise of purchasing a gold necklace off Craigslist. When the victim drove up in his vehicle, Lubkin confronted him about another necklace that he sold to him several days prior. Lubkin pulled a gun from his waistband and fired three shots as the victim drove away.

Garcia was struck by one of the shots and died from his injuries soon thereafter. Officers found Garcia unconscious in his car which collided with a concrete wall before it came to rest in a nearby strip of landscaping.

Initially, two eyewitnesses came forward and provided statements about what they saw. With this limited information, detectives with the Petaluma Police Department conducted a weekslong investigation led by Sgt. Walt Spiller.

In November 2019, Lubkin was arrested as the sole suspect in the case. In addition to Concord and Petaluma police personnel, law enforcement officials with the U.S. DEA were on hand as Lubkin was taken into custody and a search warrant was served at his residence.

At trial, Lubkin took the stand and, for the first time, confessed to being the shooter. He claimed that he acted in self-defense not knowing what the victim might do while driving away.

The jury rejected this assertion and returned a conviction on all counts.

Lubkin faces a sentence of up to 50 years to life in California state prison. A sentencing date is expected to be scheduled for late July.

The case was prosecuted by Chief Deputy District Attorney Matthew Henning and Deputy District Attorney Brian Morimune with the assistance of District Attorney Investigator Alexis Bartley. Sgt. Walt Spiller of the Petaluma Police Department headed the investigation.