Virginia man found guilty in ex-girlfriend’s strangulation

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (AP) — A jury found a Virginia man guilty on Friday of strangling his ex-girlfriend almost four years in front of the couple’s young toddlers.

The Virginian-Pilot of Norfolk reports Lamont Johnson was found guilty of second-degree murder in the death of Bellamy Gamboa in July 2018.

The jury also convicted Johnson of two counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor for leaving the couple’s 20-month-old toddlers home alone while he disposed of Gamboa’s body.

Jurors resumed deliberations Friday afternoon to determine the sentence for Johnson. The murder charge carries a maximum penalty of 40 years in prison.