Concord man convicted in 2019 killing at Petaluma Outlets

A Concord man was convicted Tuesday in a 2019 shooting that killed a 19-year-old Santa Rosa man in the Petaluma Outlets parking lot.

Jurors convicted David Kyle Lubkin, 29, of first-degree murder and discharging a gun at a vehicle causing death, according to the Sonoma County District Attorney’s office.

Ezequiel Garcia was killed in the Sept. 28, 2019, shooting.

In a statement, Sonoma County District Attorney Carla Rodriguez said “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. My only hope is that Mr. Garcia’s family finds some solace in today’s outcome.”

The trial was overseen by Superior Court Judge Laura Passaglia.

A hearing will be held June 13 to schedule Lubkin’s sentencing. He faces 50 years to life in prison.

His attorney could not be immediately reached for comment Tuesday afternoon.

The shooting occurred around 8 p.m. while outlet employees and shoppers were present.

Lubkin arranged a meeting with Garcia under the guise of purchasing a gold necklace advertised on Craigslist, according to the District Attorney’s Office.

Garcia arrived in an Infiniti sedan and was confronted by Lubkin about another transaction involving a necklace from days earlier.

He pulled out a gun and fired three rounds as Garcia fled in his car. Garcia was hit once and died at the scene. His vehicle struck a concrete wall and came to a stop on landscaping.

A second bullet hit the car’s rear and the third struck the Converse store building.

No one else was hit.

The killing was Petaluma’s second homicide in 2019.

Lubkin admitted on the stand he shot Garcia but testified the shooting was in self-defense, according to the District Attorney’s Office.

He claimed he did not know what the victim might do while driving away.

Investigators said Lubkin fled in a red Ford pickup registered to a family member and it was impounded during the investigation.

At least two shoppers witnessed the shooting and were interviewed by Petaluma police investigators.

Weeks of investigation culminated with Lubkin’s arrest at his home on Nov. 15, 2019.

Shortly before his arrest, Lubkin reported his vehicle had been stolen, police said at the time.

He’d been in custody without bail leading up to his conviction, jail records show.

You can reach Staff Writer Colin Atagi at colin.atagi@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @colin_atagi