FRESNO, CA- A 23-year-old California man will spend at least 25 years in prison after he was sentenced late last week in connection with the March 21, 2021 murder of a Fresno food vendor, Law & Crime reports.
Demarcus Jaime Vega, 23, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in connection with the execution-style murder of 45-year-old Lorenzo Perez, according to the Fresno County District Attorney’s Office. He was sentenced to 25 years to life. Perez was a popular food vendor who “served families across southeast Fresno.”
The incident took place when Vega, then 18-years-old, spotted Perez, who was pulling his food cart around on his bicycle. Vega, riding a scooter, flagged Perez down, and thinking he was a potential customer, came to a stop.
That was when, without provocation and after a brief conversation, Vega pulled a gun from his pocket and shot Perez point blank in the head, rifling through the victim’s pockets before fleeing.
First responders rushed to the scene and found Perez on the ground. He was rushed to the hospital and despite the best efforts of paramedics and emergency room staff, he passed away. Police were able to identify Vega as the suspect by interviewing witnesses and reviewing surveillance footage. He was arrested four days later, and it was determined that robbery was his motive.
Perez’s oldest son called his father “a proud, hardworking man” whose family was his “pride and joy.”
Damarcus Jaime Vega didn’t just end the life of a human that day; he took the rest of our lives with him and altered them,” Perez’s son said.
Prosecutors told the Fresno Bee that Vega allegedly suffered from some “intellectual disabilities” and that caused a delay in the trial as he underwent a mental health evaluation.
Vega’s attorney told the Bee that he believed his client received a fair sentence.
“I can honestly say that he has shown a significant amount of remorse,” Attorney Jamil Nushwat said, which might be expected after you destroyed the lives of a family over a few dollars. “And he’s shown me a significant amount of growth. He is interested in rehabilitation.”
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