(Lawrenceville, Ga., 6/8/26) – A Lawrenceville man was convicted of murder for fatally shooting the father of a teenaged girl to whom he was selling vapes.

(Lawrenceville, Ga., 6/8/26) – A Lawrenceville man was convicted of murder for fatally shooting the father of a teenaged girl to whom he was selling vapes.

Miguel A. Rodriguez-Escut, 22, was found guilty of felony murder, aggravated assault, and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony for the 2023 shooting death of 45-year-old Felipe Martin Velasco. Rodriguez-Escut was sentenced to life in prison plus five years.

“We are pleased with this outcome and hope that Mr. Velasco’s family can heal from this tragic loss,” District Attorney Patsy Austin-Gatson said.

On Jan. 13, 2023, just before midnight, Rodriguez-Escut came to Velasco’s home after he and his wife went to sleep to play video games with Velasco’s then-14-year-old daughter. The defendant, who was 19 at the time, brought with him tequila and vaping cartridges. As the teens played video games, Velasco woke and went downstairs.

When Velasco found the defendant in the family room, he began asking the teen his name and age as he dialed 9-1-1. The defendant begged Velasco to let him leave the home as Velasco spoke with the emergency operator. Velasco told the defendant to stay until police came, but the defendant pulled a 9 mm handgun from his jacket on the floor nearby and shot Velasco three times. Police searched for Rodriguez-Escut for three days before he was arrested.

During the trial, jurors heard the recording of the shooting as Velasco was on the phone with 9-1-1. They heard two shots followed by a 15-second pause, then two more shots as the defendant fled. The jury also heard testimony that Velasco was only wearing pajama pants and posed no threat to the defendant. The jury deliberated for three-and-a-half hours before returning the verdicts.

Managing Assistant District Attorney Marlene Oldeen and Assistant District Attorney Anthony Volkodav prosecuted the case with assistance from Investigators Shayla LaCosta and Germaine Johnson and Victim Witness Advocate Korinne Haskins. The Gwinnett County Police Department and the Gwinnett County Medical Examiner’s Office were invaluable in helping to close this case.