People v. Lopez CA1/2

BACKGROUND

The facts underlying Garcia’s convictions were related in our unpublished opinion on the appeal. (People v. Garcia Lopez (October 26, 2022, A161203).) In brief, Garcia and codefendant Ferrer were convicted of murdering Lorenzo Castrejon in retaliation for Castrejon giving his girlfriend a black eye. On the evening of the murder, the girlfriend heard Ferrer and Garcia talking about beating and robbing Castrejon. After an initial confrontation in a convenience store parking lot, Castrejon suggested they go somewhere without surveillance cameras. Garcia and Ferrer followed Castrejon’s car to a dead-end street and, as Castrejon tried to turn his car around, sprayed the car with dozens of bullets, killing Castrejon. Garcia was using an SKS-style rifle, and the codefendant was using a handgun. Castrejon’s girlfriend and her friend Patricia F. had been at the convenience store parking lot and had also followed Castrejon, stopping their car at the beginning of the dead end street. Patricia F. testified at trial that Garcia had threatened to kill her if she talked. After a jury trial, Garcia was convicted of first degree murder (Pen. Code, § 187, subd. (a)1) (count 1), with…