Vallejo man convicted of voluntary manslaughter of East Contra Costa underground rapper

MARTINEZ — A Vallejo man was convicted of manslaughter, not murder, after a trial where the defense argued he killed the victim in self-defense after a brutal beating inside an Antioch home, court records show.

Jesus Soto, 37, was convicted of voluntary manslaughter and a gun enhancement last week in the Aug. 25, 2025 killing of 27-year-old Richard Morello Jr. The voluntary manslaughter charge means jurors determined the killing was unlawful but less serious than murder, either because...