FALLBROOK, Calif. (KGTV) — The Fallbrook community gathered for a vigil Wednesday evening to mourn the loss of Martin Lucas, a 40-year-old landscaper who was shot and killed after working at a home in the area the week before.
"My dad was great. My dad was awesome. He was everything to me," said Martina Lucas, Martin's young daughter.
Martina recalled the last conversation she had with her father.
"He told me I’ll call you later, or I’ll call you tomorrow because I’m working, but I love you. And, I told him that I loved him too," Martina Lucas said.
The next day, on Monday, March 16, her father helped with landscaping work at a vacation rental on Avo Drive off East Mission Road in Fallbrook.
Around 8 p.m. that night, San Diego County Sheriff's deputies rushed to the area to find two adult men suffering from traumatic gunshot injuries.
Deputies said Martin Lucas, a father of four, died at the scene. The second landscaper was taken to the hospital and has since been released.
"Feel a lot of hate because my dad didn’t deserve any of that. So much hate toward the murderer," Martina Lucas said.
Michael Burke, 70, was arrested for murder and attempted murder. He was booked into the Vista Detention Facility and arraigned last Thursday.
Alan Hsu, the owner of the vacation rental where Martin — a Guatemalan — was working, said Burke lives on the adjacent parcel. Hsu noted there have been issues in the past.
"There was one time where our gardener several years ago, maybe 2018 or so, mentioned that the suspect had made a racial comment to him," Hsu said.
While Burke sits in jail, the Fallbrook community gathered for a vigil in Martin's honor. Oscar Caralampio, a friend of the Lucas family, helped organize the gathering.
"I was actually the elementary teacher for his boys. So, when I found out, it was devastating, both as a — I’m a father as well, so as a father, as a community member and as an educator," Caralampio said.
At the vigil, Martina Lucas wore a shirt featuring her father's face, with a message written in Spanish: "It means your wings were ready to fly but my heart was never ready to let you go," Martina Lucas said.
As the family continues to grieve, they also hope for justice.
A GoFundMe has been set up to support them during this difficult time.
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