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Man Gets 50 Years to Life in Slaying

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TIMES STAFF WRITER

A 26-year-old Sylmar man was sentenced Friday to 50 years to life in prison for fatally shooting his girlfriend more than two years ago after she insulted him.

Jose Alfredo Barajas was convicted on March 7 of first-degree murder after shooting his live-in girlfriend, Lisa Lopez, 20, four times with a .45-caliber handgun as she lay on a couch in the living room of their home in the 12800 block of Maclay Street, authorities said.

Deputy Dist. Atty. Carolyn McNary said Lopez and Barajas were arguing on Jan. 9, 2000, when Lopez called him insulting names.

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He became angry and shot her, McNary said.

Authorities said Barajas called 911 to report that he had shot his girlfriend.

When police arrived, he was holding a handgun and baiting them to shoot him, authorities said. He was subdued after police shot him with a beanbag.

During the trial, Lopez’s co-workers testified that Barajas was controlling and called her frequently to try to get her to come home. Their relationship was not violent, McNary said, but there “was a lot of yelling between them.”

On at least one other occasion, in November 1999, Barajas went after Lopez with a gun, but she was able to leave, McNary said.

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