South Precinct officers early today arrested Hector Lopez-Mestizo on a grand jury indictment charging first-degree murder in connection with the August 26, 2007 shooting death of Lucio Lorenzo Garcia on I-65 South at the Wedgewood Avenue exit.
Lopez-Mestizo, 20, was taken into custody at his Rose Street home at 1 a.m. In addition to the homicide charge, the indictment also charges him with four counts of aggravated assault.
Garcia, 19, was driving his 1996 Ford Mustang on I-65 in the early morning hours of August 26 when he was shot in the head by someone in a Ford Escape SUV. The Mustang, with four female juvenile passengers inside, exited the interstate and came to rest at the bottom of the Wedgewood off-ramp. The juveniles were not hurt.
Jonothan Gutierrez, 17, was quickly identified as the man suspected of firing the fatal shot and was arrested the same day as the homicide. Lopez-Mestizo has since been identified as the driver of the Ford Escape.
The murder charge against Gutierrez was transferred from Juvenile to Criminal Court. He is a co-defendant in the indictment with Lopez-Mestizo. A third person, who is thought to be out of state, is also being sought.
The investigation shows that Garcia and the defendants were affiliated with rival gangs.
Jonothan Gutierrez
Hector Lopez-Mestizo
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