GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. — The jury reached verdict Friday in a Gwinnett County murder case.
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Esteven Avila-Vega was found guilty of felony murder, malice murder, aggravated assault and possession of a firearm.
Channel 2’s Matt Johnson was live at the courthouse when the verdict was read.
The family of Angel Mendoza was outraged in 2023 after the murder.
They were outraged again when the now-convicted killer received a bond back then.
Avila-Vega was out on bond for two years but will now await his sentence behind bars after the conviction.
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Avila-Vega was escorted out of the courtroom at around 5 p.m. after a jury convicted him of murdering Mendoza, a father of six.
The wife of Mendoza, his many friends and family members embraced after the verdict was read, something that they have been waiting for more than two years.
It was April 2023 when Mendoza died after prosecutors say Avila-Vega shot him 13 times.
Mendoza tried to de-escalate a situation at a baby shower.
It happened in front of witnesses, in front of families at a home on Pepperwood Trail near Norcross.
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Mendoza’s family has been waiting for this day ever since.
The sentencing date has not yet been set, but the family plans to be there as well.
The killer faces life in prison.
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