SACRAMENTO, Calif. — To hear your child was shot and killed is something no parent wants to hear. For the Lopez family, that became a reality in May 2022.
At only 20 years old, Jacob Lopez loved music and was a loving father himself. His family said he had a long life ahead of him until it was unexpectedly cut short.
"It doesn't get easier," said Stephanie Lopez, Jacob's mother. "The pain is still there, we lost a son, a father, a brother, you know, an uncle and nephew. fiancé."
Citrus Heights police said Jacob was shot and killed at the Birdcage Village Apartments last year. At the time, police charged Tony Diaz with the murder and possessing a machine gun.
As the case moved forward, the Sacramento County District Attorney's Office said there was only enough evidence to charge him with the possession of a machine gun. Diaz ultimately pled no contest and was sentenced to 180 days in jail.
"There is no closure right now," said Nathan Lopez, Jacob's father. "Here we are again."
Just last week, the 21-year-old was slapped with more weapon-related charges. The Sacramento County Sheriff's Office said detectives confronted Diaz at home with multiple guns in the property. Because of this, the sheriff's office said it violated his probation.
"There's so many loopholes in the justice system, where things like this can just get, you know, it becomes a statistic. Right. So it really didn't come as a surprise," said Nathan Lopez.
Last Friday, Diaz faced a judge for his new charges. With a not-guilty plea, the Lopez family said it's clear the road to justice for their son's death will be a long one.
"I don't understand why he would say not guilty, he's very guilty. This is not the first time. This is not the first gun charge. It's not even our second gun charge. It's his third and the second gun charge took a life that was my son, and now we're here we are, again, with a third gun charge," said Stephanie Lopez.
However, it's not only their son's life they're fighting for. The Lopez family believes it'll only be a matter of time before someone else gets hurt, or loses a life.
"There's other mothers who are dealing with the same things that I'm dealing with. And it needs to stop like when is enough, enough?" said Stephanie Lopez.
One of those moms, Anita Razo, whose son was also killed last April.
Giovanni Pizano, also known as DJ Gio, a beloved Sacramento DJ, was shot and killed in a Natomas neighborhood.
"This is the aftermath of losing a son, and now Stephanie and I are together. We're fighting together to prevent another mother from feeling the way that we're feeling," said Razo.
Through this tragic bond, the Lopez family is hoping for justice.
"We're just hoping that the justice system stands up for people like my son and other families who are going through similar situations that justice, you know, they look at this as a repeat offense and that they don't let people like this out again," said Stephanie Lopez.
As of this point, nobody has been charged with the murder of Jacob Lopez.
