Quick Poll

Will you or someone in your family benefit from the new Veterans Administration Outpatient Clinic on Highway 34?

Related Story

Blogs

Angela McRae

Tea with friends

Deberah Williams

Everyday Finesse

Lorrie Lynch

Who's News

Published Thursday, July 03, 2008 in Local

Photo by Jeffrey Leo

Jason Veitch at Monday court appearance.

Worker disputes builder's account of fatal shooting

By Amy Lott

The Times-Herald

The cousin of a construction worker fatally shot by local builder Richard Jason Veitch on a Moreland job site early June 28 declined to comment Wednesday on events he witnessed at the scene.

When questions were posed to the man's attorney, however, the attorney referred to prior statements made to news media by his client that dispute Veitch's account of the incident.

During an interview Monday with WSB-TV Atlanta, Jorge Del Angel said the Coweta contractor now facing murder charges intentionally shot his relative, 23-year-old Gaston Gonzales, despite claims of an accidental shotgun discharge. "The guy, he don't wait for nothing, just kill my cousin," Del Angel said. "No accident. I know there's no accident."

Atlanta civil attorney W. Todd Johnson of Eric J. Hertz, P.C., representing both Del Angel and his cousin/additional shooting witness Rolando Rivera, said, "We intend to hold all those responsible accountable for their actions that night."

The shooting allegedly occurred after Veitch -- reportedly plagued by burglars stealing copper wire from his unfinished property -- assumed Gaston, Del Angel and Rivera were thieves. The three Senoia Drywall employees told authorities they were in the driveway of 55 Trammell Road that night to sleep in a van on site instead of driving home to Norcross. The men were scheduled to begin work for Veitch, owner of LaGrange Street business J. Veitch Construction, Inc., mere hours later at a house next door.

Veitch, whom Coweta Sheriff's Office officials say was armed and staking out his property in camouflage clothing, ordered the men to get out of the vehicle, lie down on the ground and put their hands behind their heads. When Gonzales -- who did not speak English -- failed to comply, Veitch reportedly poked the man in the back twice with a shotgun.

At that point, the gun went off, and the mortally wounded man was driven in a pickup truck to the hospital by one of Veitch's relatives. It was too late to save him, said Coweta Sheriff Mike Yeager. Yeager said Gonzales was pronounced dead upon arrival.

According to Captain Tony Grant of the Coweta Sheriff's Office during testimony at a probable cause hearing Monday, Veitch admitted to shooting Gonzales, but said it was accidental. Del Angel says it was not.

Grant said that prior to the tragic events, Veitch asked a deputy if he could shoot burglars who came onto his property. He was told unequivocally he could not.

Veitch was bound over to Coweta Superior Court on charges of felony murder Monday. He will also face aggravated assault charges, according to Grant.

No charges have been filed against Veitch's father-in-law, who witnessed the shooting.