Soledad man sentenced to 51 years for killing cousin

A Soledad man has been sentenced for killing his cousin in a deadly family dispute.

Jose Carlos Romero, 31, was convicted of first degree murder in the shooting death of Eric Shackelford, 35. He was sentenced to 51 years to life in prison by Judge Carrie Panetta on Thursday.

Authorities said in September 2015, Romero got into an argument with a woman over child visitation issues while at Shackelford’s home. Shackelford tried to step in and resolve the issue.

Romero left the home, only to return with a .45 caliber semi-automatic handgun. He found Shackelford in the parking lot and shot him in the face, killing him instantly. Witnesses spotted Romero in the same area at the time of the shooting. Romero later surrendered to the Soledad Police Department after a no-bail homicide arrest warrant was issued for him.

According to the District Attorney’s Office, Romero will spend at least 51 years in prison before he can apply for a parole date.