“Selfish and evil” – Cobb County man gets life for killing his child’s mother

COBB COUNTY, Ga. — A 33-year-old man will spend the rest of his life behind bars for the killing of the mother of his child.

The shooting happened in late 2019 when 38-year-old Oralia Melo Meza asked Juan Antonio Gonzalez to leave their Marietta home because of his drinking problem. They both shared the home with their four-year-old daughter and Melo’s three older children.

[PREVIOUS STORY: Police: Woman killed, teen injured in shooting before suspect led officers on chase]

Gonzalez later learned Melo was seeing someone new, which led to a festering anger the week leading up to the murder, prosecutors said.

On the evening of Dec. 21, 2019, Gonzalez arrived at the home to pick up their daughter. Melo gave him the child’s car seat, then closed the door. Enraged, police said Gonzalez opened fire with a handgun through the door and windows of the home.

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Gonzalez then made his way into the home, looking for Melo. Melo’s 16-year-old son attempted to calm Gonzalez but he was shot once in the shoulder. Gonzalez then continued his hunt for Melo.

Gonzalez finally found Melo in the closet and shot her.

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Witnesses could hear Melo cry out, as she staggered to the living room and collapsed. While she was on the floor, witnesses said, Gonzalez fired additional rounds into her body.

She was shot a total of six times.

One witness told police that after shooting her, Gonzalez said: “If you can’t be with me, you’re not going to be with anyone else.”

When police arrived, Cobb Police Ofc. Lyles said Gonzalez fired at his patrol car, shattering the window, before leaving in a Dodge Ram truck.

Gonzalez led Cobb police on a multiple-mile chase at speeds of up to 120 mph in heavy traffic. The chase ended when Gonzalez crashed into another vehicle.

Gonzalez later confessed to investigators and wrote a letter to his daughter in which he apologized for ruining her Christmas and asked for forgiveness.

During the hearing Monday, Melo’s teenage son told the court that he has both physical and emotional scars that won’t let him forget that night.

“I saw her laying down as I ran toward her, and me seeing that I couldn’t do anything … that image of her affects me to this day,” he said. “We have to live without the person who cared for us, fed us, clothed us, and gave us a home.”

After accepting Gonzalez’s plea of guilty to malice murder, aggravated assault, and aggravated assault on a peace officer, Cobb Superior Court Judge Robert E. Flournoy III sentenced Gonzalez to life in prison.

“This defendant’s actions were selfish and evil. He took away the person most precious to these four children — their mother. I cannot imagine any greater pain. Nothing will ever repair the damage done,” said Deputy Chief Assistant District Attorney Jesse Evans, who prosecuted this case along with his partner, Senior Assistant District Attorney Stephanie Green.

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Cox Media Group