Two Antioch men arrested for January murder, police ID victim
U.S. Marshals locate one suspect in Pioneer, CA; both have history of arrests including second arrest for murder of other suspect
By Lt. Rick Martin, Antioch Police Investigations Bureau
On January 23, 2024, at approximately 10:53 pm the Antioch Police Dispatch center began receiving multiple calls of shots fired with a subject injured in the unit block of Bryan Avenue. Officers arrived and located two victims, 41-year-old Roberto Gonzalez Lamas and a 59-year-old male, both from Antioch, each with multiple gunshot wounds. Gonzalez Lamas succumbed to his injuries at the hospital and was pronounced deceased. (See related article)
The Antioch Police Investigations Bureau has been tirelessly working on this homicide investigation. Through the investigation, detectives learned that 53-year-old Lonnie Ray Decker and 61-year-old Steven Robert Kelly, both of Antioch, were responsible for the senseless killing of Gonzalez Lamas, and attempted murder of the 59-year-old male.
On Feb. 7, 2024, the U.S. Marshals Pacific Southwest Regional Fugitive Tast Force located and apprehended Decker in Pioneer, CA. On Monday, Feb. 12, 2024, Kelly was located and apprehended by Antioch Police patrol officers in Pittsburg. Both Kelly and Decker were booked into the Martinez Detection Facility on charges of murder and attempted murder along with additional parole violations. According to the Amador County Sheriff’s Department, Decker was in the Amador County Jail as of Feb. 12 on a bench warrant for failure to appear.
The Antioch Police Department would like to thank U.S. Marshals, Amador County Sheriff’s Office, and the community at large for providing the Antioch Police Department with helpful information that quickly and safely led to the arrests of Decker and Kelly.
This case has been presented to the Contra Costa District Attorney’s office and has charged both Decker and Kelly with homicide.
According to the Contra Costa Sheriff’s Department, the 5-foot, 7-inch, 145-lb. Kelly is Hispanic and is in jail on a no-bail hold. According to localcrimenews.com, he has a history of arrests dating back to 2016 by Antioch, Martinez and Pleasant Hill PD and Contra Costa CHP including for murder in 2020, as well as for drug crimes and vehicle theft. (Note: No photo of Kelly could be located from an online search).
According to localcrimnews.com, Decker also has a history of arrests dating back to 2016 by Vacaville and Redding PDs, Modesto CHP, and Solano, Stanislaus, Sacramento and Amador County Sheriff’s Departments for multiple drug, gun and weapon crimes, vehicle theft, driving on a suspended license, check fraud and failure to appear. According to recentlybooked.com, he is 6-foot, 1-inch and 285 lbs. According to Decker’s Facebook page, he is friends with Daniel Mackin who was shot and arrested by Antioch Police on October 1, 2023, and charged with “Ramey Warrant – 187 PC homicide / 211 PC robbery” and other crimes.
Allen D. Payton contributed to this report.
the attachments to this post:
Lonnie Decker 2-12-24 arrest photo Amador Co SD
APD Homicide Suspects Arrested and Charged