Michael A. Sampson of Garfield was found guilty of murder in the death of Hector "Titoi" Zabala of Fairview.
HACKENSACK - A Garfield man who said he was trying to protect his wife when he shot a man in Cliffside Park was found guilty of murder on Wednesday.
A Bergen County Superior Court jury found that Michael A. Sampson, 42, shot Hector "Titoi" Zabala, 33, of Fairview on July 8, 2012, according to NorthJersey.com. The men had been at the same bar earlier in the evening and Zabala had irritated Sampson by paying attention to his wife, according to the report.
The fatal shooting occurred July 8, 2012. (S.P. Sullivan | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com) When the bar closed, Sampson and his wife, along with Zabala and his friends gathered down the street in front of a grocery store, according to police at the time. Sampson and Zabala reportedly exchanged words before Sampson took out a gun and shot the younger man.
During a trial, which ended Wednesday, witnesses testified that Zabala was drunk and annoying but not threatening, according to the report.
Sampson was found guilty of murder, possession of a gun and drug possession, according to the report.
Sentencing is scheduled for March 3.
Anthony G. Attrino may be reached at tattrino@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyAttrino. Find NJ.com on Facebook.