Ex-Camp Pendleton Marine Alvin Reed Lovely, 24, was sentenced today to 15 years in state prison for shooting to death a fellow Marine in an misunderstanding over stolen drug money, according to a news release from the Orange County District Attorney.
Lovely pleaded guilty today to voluntary manslaughter and making criminal threats with a firearm.
Back in May of 2008, Lovely and co-defendant Christian William Carney shot 20-year-old Stephen Serrano in a secluded area of San Clemente after a dispute about stolen drug money. A jury found Carney guilty of murder in December 2011. He was sentenced to 28 years and eight months to life in state prison.
Serrano’s mother, Christl McKenny, wrote a statement about her son which was read aloud today in court. It read in part:
“Not only did he leave behind his six siblings but also a wife, Sophia, and five children, four of them stepchildren. His youngest son turned a year old on May 18th, 2008, five days after he was killed, three days after his body was found. He was a wonderful son. He had a great sense of humor. He had many friends. He joined the Marines in March 2007 because he wanted to take care of his family. The last time I spoke to him was that Sunday, Mother’s Day, when he called to say, ‘Have a great day. I love you momma.’”
