Two gang members sentenced for the death of Lance Cpl. Carlos Segovia Lopez

Two gang members were sentenced today for killing a 19-year-old Marine found shot inside his vehicle in Los Angeles’ Jefferson Park neighborhood in 2016, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office announced.

Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Kathleen Kennedy sentenced Oscar Aguilar, 28, to 100 years to life in state prison and Esau Rios, 31, to 50 years to life in prison.

A jury found the defendants guilty on May 29 of one count each of first-degree murder and shooting at an occupied motor vehicle. Aguilar also was convicted of one felony count of possession of a firearm by a felon.

Jurors additionally found true allegations that Aguilar personally and intentionally used a handgun in the killing, a principal used a handgun in the commission of the crime and the shooting was committed for the benefit of a criminal street gang. Today, the court found true allegations that Aguilar had prior felony convictions.

A third defendant, Ricky Valente, 21, pleaded no contest to one count of accessory after the fact in June 2018. He was placed on three years of formal probation under the terms of a negotiated plea agreement on June 26, 2019.

Deputy District Attorneys Carmelia Mejia and Jeffrey K. Herring of the Hardcore Gang Division prosecuted case BA451748.

On Sept. 16, 2016, Lance Cpl. Carlos Segovia Lopez of Los Angeles was on leave from Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton when he saw Aguilar and Rios possibly tampering with vehicles and confronted them. At Rios’ direction, Aguilar approached Segovia Lopez, who was sitting in his car at 31st Street and St. Andrews Place, and shot him once in the head, according to court testimony.

The victim died three days later at a hospital.

Aguilar and Rios were known gang members, according to testimony. All three defendants were residents of the neighborhood where the shooting occurred.

According to the felony complaint, Aguilar was convicted as a juvenile of assault with a deadly weapon with great bodily injury and felony vandalism in 2008, criminal threats in 2011 and possession for transportation or sale of narcotics in 2015.

The case was investigated by the Los Angeles Police Department, South Bureau Homicide Division.