Man Gets 100 Years in Sister-in-Law’s Death
A man convicted of the New Year’s Day murder of his sister-in-law was sentenced Tuesday to 100 years to life in prison.
Lucio Rodriguez, 43, was angry because his wife wanted to divorce him, Deputy Dist. Atty. Peggy Beckstrand said. After drinking last New Year’s Eve, the Panorama City man began shooting.
His sister-in-law Sylvia Escobar, 44, died shortly after she was shot. His wife, Suyapita Rodriguez, was hit by four bullets but survived. Another sister-in-law, Socorro Diaz, escaped injury because the gun jammed, Beckstrand said.
The evidence against Rodriguez was overwhelming, Beckstrand said. The man was arrested right after the Panorama City shooting with a gun in his pocket.
Rodriguez, who was convicted of first-degree murder and two counts of attempted murder on Sept. 22 after a jury trial, was sentenced by Judge Michael Harwin in Van Nuys Superior Court.
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