Two brothers have been convicted in the December 2023 killing of Viviana Valadez in Stockton, San Joaquin County prosecutors confirmed yesterday. In a case that highlighted a brutal instance of domestic violence spilling into public violence, Cesar Lopez, who was under a domestic violence protective order, tracked down Valadez only to have his brother, Luis Lopez, fatally shoot her and injure another person, according to details from CBS Sacramento.
Cesar Lopez’s assault on Valadez and subsequent chase of the other victim, identified by FOX40 as Emilio Morales, culminated in a dramatic manhunt that ended with Cesar’s surrender in Phoenix the following day. Luis was apprehended in Idaho a week later. The prosecution’s presentation of the case led to Cesar’s conviction for second-degree murder, attempted second-degree murder, and violation of a domestic violence criminal protective order, facing a maximum of 23 years, while Luis received a guilty verdict for second-degree murder with a firearm enhancement and attempted second-degree murder with the same enhancement.
“The convictions of Cesar and Luis Lopez demonstrate that violent crime will face severe consequences in San Joaquin County,” District Attorney Ron Freitas was quoted as saying in the FOX40 report. He expressed satisfaction with the judicial outcome and praised the combined efforts of the District Attorney’s team and law enforcement in bringing the Lopez brothers to account…