Two Chula Vista men have been sentenced to 21 and six years respectively in state prison for their roles in killing a South Bay man in 2012.
The longest term went to Reyes Michael Cruz, 28, and the six years went to Adrian Ernesto Lopez, 22, for the slaying of Hector Arce, 36, on Jan. 28, 2012.
Cruz had two prior felony convictions, said Deputy District Attorney Paul Reizen.
Lopez was 17 years old at the time, but was charged as an adult. “He did accept responsibility,” said Reizen about Lopez.
The prosecutor said none of them knew Arce whom they had mistaken for a rival gang member.
Arce, of Imperial Beach, was shot five times in the 1300 block of Imperial Beach Boulevard.
Video surveillance cameras from a business showed the gunman, Salvador Cuellar, 30, Reyes, and Lopez walking through a parking lot at night. Arce is also in the camera footage though the shooting was not captured by a camera.
Arce was shot in the head and neck and died at the scene. He did not know the other men.
Cruz, Lopez, and Cuellar pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter and a murder charge was dropped. Chula Vista
Superior Court Judge Garry Haehnle sentenced Cruz and Lopez on May 17.
Both Cruz and Lopez received jail credits of two years and nine months since they were both arrested Sept. 3, 2014 by the sheriff’s department, and East County Gang Task Force after a long investigation.
Judge Stephanie Sontag is expected to sentence Cuellar soon and Reizen said he was expected to receive 37 years in prison.
