Oceanside
Eric Hazelgrove was sentenced to life in prison Wednesday for the attempted murder of a catering truck vendor at the Aliso Creek rest stop on Interstate 5.
Hazelgrove would be eligible for parole at the discretion of the state Department of Corrections, said Deputy Dist. Atty. Greg Walden, who prosecuted the case.
Hazelgrove was sentenced by Superior Court Judge Irma Gonzalez, who agreed with the recommendation of the county’s Probation Department. In its report to the judge, a probation officer wrote that Hazelgrove, 30, “cannot successfully assimilate into society.”
Hazelgrove was found guilty of shooting 56-year-old Lee Harrell four times on Aug. 8, 1990. Harrell testified that Hazelgrove approached him at the rest stop north of Oceanside and without provocation shot him three times, and then a fourth time after Harrell tried to escape by crawling beneath his catering truck.
In addition to the life sentence, Hazelgrove was sentenced to 11 years, eight months for lesser, related charges.
Sign up for Essential California
The most important California stories and recommendations in your inbox every morning.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
