Marine Sentenced to 15 Years in Death of Fellow Marine

A Camp Pendleton Marine was sentenced to 15 years in state prison Friday for his role in the May 13, 2008, murder of Stephen Serrano, 20 a fellow Marine in a secluded area of San Clemente.

Alvin Reed Lovely, 24, of Dallas, was sentenced after pleading guilty to one felony count of voluntary manslaughter, one felony count of criminal threats, and a sentencing enhancement for the personal use of a firearm in the commission of criminal threats.

Sophia Serrano, the victim’s widow, spoke to the court after the sentencing.

"I hope the bad guys never have to feel the pain we feel everyday since Stephen was killed,” she said.

The Orange County District Attorney's Office gives the following account:

Co-defendant Christian William Carney, 25, Manorville, NY, also a Marine at Camp Pendleton at the time of the crime, was found guilty by a jury Dec. 20, 2011, of one felony count of murder, one felony count of criminal threats and one felony count of attempting to dissuade a witness. He was sentenced to 28 years and eight months to life in state prison on March 2, 2012.

While stationed at Camp Pendleton, Carney was a drug dealer who sold cocaine and ecstasy. During the weekend of May 9, 2008, Carney drove to Texas to pick up Lovely, who had gone home for a visit and needed a ride back to the base. While Carney was gone, 20-year-old Stephen Serrano and his friend, Chad Hatch, broke into Carney's room and stole his drug money.

When the defendants returned from Texas, a witness told them that he had seen Carney's friend, Hatch, breaking into Carney's room. The witness did not identify Serrano.

On May 13, 2008, the defendants drove Hatch to a secluded area in San Clemente, pointed a firearm at his head, and threatened to kill him if he did not tell them who had helped him steal the drug money from Carney's room. The victim, fearing for his life, told them it had been Serrano.

The defendants drove Hatch back to Camp Pendleton and called Serrano using Hatch's phone. They left Hatch at the base and instructed Serrano to leave the base with them. Carney and Lovely drove Serrano to a secluded area in San Clemente and shot him one time in the face and three times in the back.  After murdering the victim, the defendants left the body and fled the scene.

After the murder but prior to the discovery of the victim's body, Carney met with Hatch and instructed him not to talk to anybody about what they had done to Serrano. Serrano's body was discovered by a jogger on May 15, 2008.