Best friend gets 20

A Chula Vista man who killed a close friend has been sentenced to 21 years in state prison after he pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter.

Dwayne Omar Ramsay, 27, was sentenced to 10 years for man­­slaughter plus 11 years consecutively for the use of a firearm in the June 10, 2012, fatal shooting of Dane C. Lawrence, 23.

Chula Vista Superior Court Judge Garry Haehnle denied probation and gave Ramsay over a year in jail credits as he has been in jail since the shooting. A murder charge was dismissed.

Multiple shots were fired which struck Lawrence about 6:40 a.m. in the home on San Pedro Point Court. Deputy District Attorney Janice Deleon said Wednesday there was no clear motive as the two “were the best of friends.”
The weapon came from Ramsay’s household, said the prosecutor. Lawrence’s girlfriend was across the street and rushed over and held the victim until paramedics arrived.

“It was a stipulated sentence,” said Deleon, adding that Ramsay had agreed to accept the 21-year term when he pleaded guilty.

Ramsay told the judge he was very sorry for what happened. The prosecutor said there were some mental issues involved. His attorney had criminal proceedings suspended in 2012 over the issue of mental competency, but another judge found Ramsay to be mentally competent to stand trial.