Crime & Safety
Gang Member Convicted in Popular Teen's Murder
The popular high school student was gunned down in 2006 as he was walking down the street.
A well-known gang member has been convicted in the 2006 murders of a popular Santa Monica high school student and another man, police announced Thursday.
Jose Zapien, 25, was also convicted of the attempted murder of 12 other people.
According to police, Zapien shot and killed 15-year-old Eduardo Lopez as he walked with a group of teenagers near Pico Boulevard and 26th Street on Feb. 28, 2006. Lopez was an avid athlete playing on the football and baseball teams, Santa Monica Police said.
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Two days after Christmas, Zapien shot and killed 22-year-old Miguel Martin as he was walking with friends on the sidewalk of Virginia Park, authorities say.
The incidents all happened in the Pico Neighborhood, which had been plagued with gang violence.
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Zapien, who was 18 when the murders occurred, was convicted after a two-week trial and a five-hour jury deliberation, police said. He faces multiple life sentences without parole when he is sentenced on Jan. 9.
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