Burglar Convicted of Murdering Homeowner

A 24-year-old Los Angeles man was convicted Monday of killing a homeowner whose house he was burglarizing.

A San Fernando Superior Court jury found Luis Mauricio Lopez guilty of the special circumstance murder of Servero Tejada of Sun Valley on Aug. 28, 1986. Lopez was also found guilty of burglary and of attempting to escape from jail three days later.

Lopez faces a sentence of life without possibility of parole because the murder occurred while he was committing a burglary, another serious felony.

During the 5-day trial, members of Tejada’s family testified that they had been on a family outing on the day of the shooting and returned to their home in the 7800 block of Cleon Avenue about 2:45 p.m. As they drove up, they said, they saw the curtains moving inside.

Servero Tejada and his oldest son, Julian, then 15, entered the house and heard a sound in a bedroom. After telling his son to go outside and unleash their dog, Servero Tejada went to the bedroom to investigate.

Son Heard Shots

Julian Tejada testified that as he returned with the dog, he heard five shots. Moments later, the youth said, he was attacked by Lopez. As the two struggled, the youth’s uncle, Juan Tejada, came to help. But Lopez broke free and ran, knocking down Servero’s wife, Estella Tejada.

Police found Lopez hiding inside a garbage can about a block away on Satsuma Avenue, Deputy Dist. Atty. Kenneth L. Barshop said. He was carrying a .38-caliber pistol belonging to Servero Tejada and 50 pieces of jewelry owned by the Tejada family, Barshop said.

Servero Tejada had been shot in the heart, head, left arm and left shoulder, Barshop said.

Lopez was taken to the North Hollywood police station. On Aug. 31, 1986, authorities discovered that a light fixture in Lopez’s cell had been removed in an escape attempt, Barshop said.

Lopez is to be sentenced on Nov. 22.