A jury has found Miguel "Mikey" Vega guilty of murdering 21-year-old Rahmel Perry and attempting to kill Michael Ellis after forcing his way into a New London apartment on March 3, 2010.

In taking the case to trial, Vega, 32, had turned down an offer from State's Attorney Michael L. Regan to plead guilty in exchange for a 35-year prison sentence.

He now faces up to 150 years of incarceration when Judge Barbara Bailey Jongbloed sentences him on March 15.

The state had retried the case after another 12-member jury failed to reach a unanimous verdict a year ago.

Perry's mother, Viola Cook, had listened to both trials with a few family members, sometimes walking out of court when the testimony became too graphic.

Upon hearing the jury foreman pronounce Vega guilty of murder, Cook let out a small gasp then rocked back and forth, shaking and crying.

She and another family member jubilantly yelled, "Guilty!" as they walked down the hallway on their way out of the courthouse.

Spectators on the other side of the courtroom also cried, though theirs were tears of sorrow.

Vega's mother, who also had watched both of the trials, did not go into the courtroom to hear the verdict, but several of the defendants' close relatives heard the jury pronounce his fate. 

At the request of defense attorney Robert Kappes, court officer Martha Jenssen polled each of the 12 jury members on the verdicts. 

All confirmed they had found Vega guilty of murder, felony murder, home invasion, first-degree burglary, attempted murder, attempted first-degree assault and carrying a pistol without a permit.

The judge thanked the jurors for their service and discharged them.

"Inevitably, a verdict will gratify one side and dissatisfy the other," the judge said.

The prosecutor and defense attorney declined to comment. They are both expected to speak on sentencing day.

Evidence at the trial indicated that after Vega "got the worst" of a barroom brawl with Perry and Ellis, he and another gunman forced their way into a Prest Street apartment where the victims were gathered with friends and began shooting.

Perry was unable to flee the gunman and was shot on a couch in the small apartment. Ellis was shot as he fled down Prest Street and suffered life-threatening wounds.

The second gunman has not been charged.

k.florin@theday.com

Twitter@KFLORIN