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LAWRENCEVILLE, GA – A 22-year-old Norcross man was sentenced to life in prison for killing a man assassination style.
A Gwinnett County jury found Ernesto Garcia-Bailon, 22, guilty of malice murder, felony murder, aggravated assault and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony for the July 17, 2024, shooting death of 38-year-old Gerardo Reyes-Fentanes. Garcia-Bailon was sentenced to life in prison plus five years.
“We hope this outcome helps Mr. Reyes-Fentanes’ family heal and find solace after his tragic loss,” District Attorney Patsy Austin-Gatson said.
Both Reyes-Fentanes and the defendant had been together at a Shell gas station on Jimmy Carter Boulevard on the evening of July 12, 2024. Police were called to a wooded area up a hill behind the gas station after a report of gunshots and found Reyes-Fentanes dead.
Video footage from a surveillance camera shown to the jury during trial showed both men leaving the gas station and going up the hill. The jury also saw video of the defendant shooting Reyes-Fentanes. The defendant shot Reye-Fentanes six times, including twice in the face while standing over the victim.
The defendant later confessed to a family member that he had killed someone, according to the investigation.
Jurors deliberated for about two and a half hours before returning a guilty verdict on all charges.
Managing Assistant District Attorney Gerald Henderson and Assistant District Attorney Brad McMahon prosecuted the case with assistance from Investigator Brad Wiley and Victim Witness Advocate Armando Perez.
The Gwinnett County Police Department was instrumental in closing the case.
Photo: Ernesto Garcia-Bailon/Via Gwinnett County District Attorney’s Office