Man Convicted in Murder Case

A reputed gang member was convicted Tuesday of second-degree murder in the death of a Canoga Park man gunned down in a drive-by shooting.

Adam Ray Lopez, 20, was found guilty by a Van Nuys Superior Court jury in the slaying of Jaime Ramos, 19, who was shot in the head March 29, 1993, by a passing motorist while Ramos was riding in his cousin’s car on Topanga Canyon Boulevard near Wyandotte Street.

Police initially linked Lopez to the killing after witnesses identified his distinctive 1970 red Chevrolet Monte Carlo fleeing from the scene, according to Deputy Dist. Atty. Shellie Samuels.

Following his arrest two weeks after the shooting, Lopez initially denied any involvement in the crime.

“He ultimately admitted being the shooter, but that it was in self-defense,” Samuels said.

Ramos apparently knew he was being attacked because he yelled “get down,” and pushed his cousin before he was shot in the head, according to testimony at the trial.

The jury’s second-degree murder verdict means the panel “did not believe it was self-defense,” Samuels said, adding that she believes the shooting was gang-related.

Judge Darlene Schempp is scheduled to sentence Lopez on June 17. He faces a maximum sentence of 20 years to life in prison.