An IT specialist who allegedly shot a National City man seven times in public will have a murder trial on Jan. 15, 2019.
Osvaldo Apolo Lopez, 36, pleaded not guilty Monday in Chula Vista Superior Court. On Aug. 23, a judge ordered him to stand trial for the murder of Ricardo Sales, 30, who was shot to death near the intersection of Donax Avenue and Florence Street in Imperial Beach.
Sales was shot four times in the head and three times in the torso, according to the medical examiner’s office and testimony in the preliminary hearing.
Sales was the father of several children.
According to testimony, Lopez was angry at Sales for having a romantic relationship with Lopez’s wife of 17 years. Lopez lived in Spring Valley and worked as an IT specialist in La Jolla, where he was arrested several days after the shooting.
Lopez is also charged with personally using a gun in the Nov. 14, 2017 slaying that occurred around 6 p.m. in front of witnesses. The gun allegation could add 25 years to whatever sentence Lopez could get if he is convicted of first or second-degree murder.
The attorneys will return to court on Dec. 11 to check on whether they will be ready for trial. A detective testified she had requested DNA testing on shell casings found at the scene.
Lopez remains in jail on $1 million bail.
