North Charleston, SC – A South Carolina couple has been sentenced for a deadly ambush in which they followed a group of men who had just cashed their checks, opened fire into their vehicle and killed one of them, all while their two infants sat inside their own car.
A Charleston County jury convicted 23-year-old Jaimen Tisdale of murder, attempted armed robbery and multiple related charges for the killing of 25-year-old Miqueas Lopez. Prosecutors said Tisdale carried out a planned attack, believing the victims would not fight back or report the crime. His girlfriend, 24-year-old Mariah McAteer, pleaded guilty to accessory after the fact and child-endangerment charges for her role.
Tisdale received 55 years in prison. McAteer’s sentencing is pending.
How the Deadly Encounter Began
According to the Charleston County Solicitor’s Office, Tisdale and McAteer parked outside a convenience store on July 13, 2023, watching as Lopez and three coworkers cashed their checks after a day spent installing electrical equipment at a local school. The couple waited with their infants inside the car, then began trailing the group once the men pulled away…