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HMG-JUSTICE WIRE
A 25-year-old Norwalk man accused of luring his cousin to a car and shooting him to death was convicted yesterday afternoon, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office announced.
A jury deliberated for less than two days before finding Ulises Carbajal Velasco guilty of two felony counts: first-degree murder and possession of a firearm by a felon in case VA131846.
Jurors found true a special circumstance allegation of lying in wait, as well as a special allegation that the defendant personally used and discharged a firearm, causing death.
Velasco is scheduled to be sentenced Oct. 23 at the Los Angeles County Superior Court in Norwalk in Department G. He faces a maximum sentence of life in state prison without the possibility of parole.
Velasco and the victim, Sergio Lopez, were cousins. Prior to the killing, the defendant believed his estranged wife was having an affair with Lopez, according to court testimony.
In the early morning of Sept. 12, 2013, Velasco was at Lopez’s home. Evidence presented at trial revealed that the defendant lured the victim to a car under the pretense that he was looking for something.
As Lopez bent down into the car, Velasco shot him from behind several times. He then left the scene.
As detectives conducted a homicide investigation, Velasco returned to the murder scene and was questioned by police. Through witness accounts, authorities were able to link Velasco to the killing and he was arrested in connection with the incident.
During the trial, the defendant’s wife testified that she never had an affair with Lopez and there was no evidence to corroborate the defendant’s belief.
The case was investigated by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.
