Plea Bargain in Sylmar Drug Death : 3 Brothers Guilty in Fatal Shooting
Three Sylmar brothers pleaded guilty Thursday to killing a man after an argument over drugs.
Tysun Jackson, 20, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in the Aug. 6 shooting of Andrew Cruz Lopez, 19. Jackson’s twin brother, Hysun, and another brother, Cleophus Jackson, 22, pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter and conspiracy to commit assault.
The shooting occurred after Lopez and a friend, known only as Kiki, tried to get drugs from Cleophus Jackson on a Sylmar street between 1 and 2 a.m. Aug. 6, Deputy Dist. Atty. Ed Nison said. Kiki showed Jackson that he had a gun in his waistband, but then he and Lopez left, Nison said.
Cleophus Jackson called his brothers and some friends and, after arming themselves with guns, they searched for Lopez and his friend. They gave up after an hour and returned to the Jacksons’ apartment in Sylmar, Nison said.
Hysun Jackson and two friends later went to a fast-food restaurant, where they spotted Lopez and Kiki driving by. Hysun Jackson followed the pair while a friend fetched the other brothers, the prosecutor said.
House Pointed Out
As Hysun Jackson pointed out Lopez’s home on Dronfield Street, someone came out of the house and may have fired a gun, Nison said.
The brothers and their friends returned to their apartment to get their guns and went back to Dronfield Street shortly before 6 a.m., when Cleophus Jackson fired into Kiki’s empty car. Lopez came out of the house, and Tysun Jackson shot him in the face, Nison said.
The Jacksons were arrested and charged with first-degree murder in October.
As part of a plea agreement, Tysun Jackson faces a sentence of 15 years to life in prison. Hysun and Cleophus Jackson could be sentenced to nine years each in prison, Nison said.
Had they been convicted of first-degree murder, Tysun Jackson could have received 27 years to life imprisonment and his brothers 26 years to life.
The Jacksons are each being held in County Jail on $250,000 bail. They will be sentenced March 9.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
