A convicted drunken driver who slammed into a vehicle in rush-hour traffic just east of Riverside, killing a 62-year-old man, was convicted Friday of second-degree murder, among other offenses.
A Riverside jury deliberated one day before finding 40-year-old Anthony Raymundo Lopez guilty of the murder count, as well as gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, driving on a suspended license and a sentence-enhancing allegation of fleeing the scene of a crime for the 2017 killing of Lamond Mansell of Temecula.
Riverside County Superior Court Judge Michael Donner scheduled a sentencing hearing for Nov. 15 at the Riverside Hall of Justice. Lopez faces 20 years to life behind bars, and is being held without bail at the Robert Presley Jail in Riverside.
According to the California Highway Patrol, the wreck involved a total of seven vehicles, including Lopez’s BMW sedan.
CHP Officer Dan Olivas said that about 4:30 p.m. Sept. 20, 2017, the ex-con was eastbound on Alessandro Boulevard toward Interstate 215, in an unincorporated area between Riverside and Moreno Valley, when he began maneuvering erratically at high speed.
Sections of the six-lane route were undergoing repairs at the time, narrowing the drivable space on both sides of the roadway.
“As he approached stopped traffic (at the intersection of Alessandro and Meridian Parkway), Lopez lost control of his vehicle and collided with a Nissan sedan, which was being driven by the victim,” Olivas said.
He said that the initial impact set off a chain-reaction collision that damaged five other vehicles. Several occupants suffered minor injuries, while others were unscathed. Mansell was pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics.
Witnesses told investigators they thought Lopez might have been racing another driver, but CHP investigators ultimately determined that was not the case.
The defendant, who wasn’t hurt, attempted to run away from the scene but was stopped, investigators said.
According to court records, Lopez has had three separate misdemeanor DUI convictions in the last decade. Records also show felony convictions for spousal abuse, resisting arrest and being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm.
He has served time in state prison.
>> Want to read more stories like this? Get our Free Daily Newsletters Here!