South Gate Man, 21, Found Guilty Of 2011 Fatal Stabbing Of Girlfriend
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — A 21-year-old South Gate man was found guilty Friday of fatally stabbing his teenage girlfriend in 2011.
Abraham Lopez was also found guilty of assaulting a group of individuals who tried to come to her aid, the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office announced.
Lopez was convicted by a jury of 11 counts: one count of first-degree murder, two counts of assault with a deadly weapon, three counts of assault upon a peace officer, two counts of weapons on school grounds, two counts of resisting executive officer and one count of false imprisonment.
Judge Raul A. Sahagun scheduled sentencing for April 13. Lopez faces a possible maximum sentence of 42 years to life in state prison.
Deputy D.A. Brandon K. Wong and Don Syn, who co-prosecuted the case, said at the time of the crime, victim Cindi Santana, 17, had just ended a three-year relationship with Lopez.
On Sept. 30, 2011, Lopez went to Santana's high school and forced her to speak with him, prosecutors said. During the confrontation, Santana flagged down the school dean, at which point Lopez put the victim into a choke hold, prosecutors added.
Other students witnessed what was occurring, and with the assistance of the female dean, struggled with Lopez to release Santana. Prosecutors said Lopez then pulled out a knife, slashed the dean, stabbed another student -- a varsity football player -- and then finally stabbed Santana twice in the back.
Following the stabbing, Lopez was subdued by school police and faculty, and subsequently arrested.
After the assault, Santana was taken to the hospital but ultimately succumbed to her wounds.
Santana's mother and sister sued the LASD for wrongful death and settled their case in January 2014. Santana's mother had notified the school's principal that Lopez had made threats against her daughter.
After stabbing Santana, Lopez lied to authorities and told them he placed explosives at the hospital where she was taken and several other locations causing a bomb scare.